The Good Lord Giveth...

The good Lord giveth, and the good Lord taketh away.

On Sunday, April 25, 2010, my sister eloped (a story for another three times, trust me) and left me without a roommate.  I had been applying for positions in a company other than the one I was in for a few months.  (I had been browsing and window-shopping for a long while before that, so I don't recall the precise month and year I began searching seriously.)  Because I paid tithing, I wasn't bogged down with a concern about how to make up her half of the rent.  I knew the Lord would take care of me.

...and take care of me He did!

On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, I was driving my brother-in-law home from work when I got a call on my cell phone.  The person on the other end was calling in response to the job interview I had completed not long before.  Was I still interested?  Was I still interested?!

As if that weren't enough, they said that their data entry department was facing a backlog, and I had the option of starting a week early and helping that department for a week.  Was I interested?  Was I interested?!

One of the reasons I had applied for that job was because it paid more than my current job.  So starting a week early was definitely a sign God had His all-knowing eyes on me.  I went home and figured out the exact difference between what I was currently making and what I would be making at the new job.  Guess what it was: half the rent.

Fast forward through a few years of good times (on a professional level) and I hit a metaphorical wall.  I stopped meeting the raised production standards.  I tried as best as I could, but it felt like something within me was holding me back.  I'm still not quite sure what it was.

My sister and brother-in-law moved from Omaha to Fargo on Wednesday, August 1, 2013.  I was sad to see them go, but know there is much good and happiness in store for them up 'der in da snow, don'tcha know?

On Sunday, August 4, 2013, our Sunday School lesson was on the revelation Joseph Smith received while in Liberty Jail in Missouri.  It's always been a favorite lesson subject of mine, as it gives an eternal perspective on trials.  I recall the fleeting thought of, "I could use a good trial right about now.  It's been a while, and those always bring me closer to God." 

Righteous desire granted: my manager called me into his office on Monday morning and informed me that because I had consistently failed to meet production standards, the company was obliged to sever our relationship.  At least we parted on good terms.

I noticed I got the job within a week of my sister/roommate moving, and I lost the job within a week of her moving again.  You can try convincing me that the Lord didn't have His hand guiding our lives through that turn of events, but you'd fail.  Miserably.

I know that the good Lord giveth, and that He taketh away, and He always does so to provide blessings for us.  Because He loves us.