Friday, June 06, 2014

Looking back in gratitude


When I was told I was going to lose my job in August 2012, I had a toddler and a new baby. Vito had just turned 2, Iñigo was just 3 months old. I was so scared. The company offered me other positions under certain conditions, none of which made me happy. In fact, to be truly honest, I was no longer happy anyway, but I was seriously contemplating accepting any of their offers because I was a mom and I was frightened of not having regular income. 

Then I saw this quote on my Facebook feed one miserable day and it was like someone slapped me. I didn't need my job. I just needed me and to believe in me. I also needed to believe in the God who gave me my talents and abilities and to trust in His promise to provide for all our needs. 

Well, fast forward to two years later and I'm in such a good place, friends. I've never been happier, never been more fulfilled, never been more at peace. To my endless surprise, we're also not poor! There is always good food on the table, there's always shopping now and then. We even have money to give to relatives who come knocking on our door for help. My husband and I always joke, "You are the ones with jobs! Why are you asking us for help?!" But we give anyway because we have enough, more than enough.

Our income may not be regular and it's not even near the same level as when we were employed, but God's provision comes from many places. We get free trips, free gas, free clothes, free diapers, free food, free toiletries, free almost everything! Sometimes, when I'm feeling stressed out with the kids, flowers from strangers just suddenly appear at the door and I'm cheered up. It's funny because sometimes I'll run out of mascara, for example, and I'll go, "Dear God, I need mascara but I don't want to buy because our money should go to the groceries and the bills." One week later, three tubes of mascara from Lancôme, Avon and L'Oreal Paris arrived! God is good and faithful (and generous!), as promised!

More than my sponsored life, the real lesson here is things aren't always going to be amazing—we lose our jobs, we get sick—but when the bad times come, as long as I have my God for help and myself to act, then things are going to work out for good. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

I'll always be grateful for my job back then. I had lots of fun, I met lots of wonderful people, I learned so much. But I'm also glad I lost my job because I found myself right after.

So if you're in a place of doubt and fear right now, look within yourself and look at what you have. You'll be amazed at how equipped you are—with talents and abilities and friends. Most of all, look to God. He will never fail you. You just have to believe that! 

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14 comments:

  1. Thank you, Frances! Napaiyak mo na naman ako. Naalala ko, magkaaway kami ng husband ko nun tapos may post ka sa Topaz Mommy, sakto sa feelings ko. Now naman sakto din 'tong message mo sa situation ng puso ko. Gustong-gusto ko ng bumalik sa pagtatrabaho only because I want to help my husband financially. But hindi ko alam how to start kasi wala namang ibang maasahan na titingin sa daughter ko. Sigh. But you know what, tama ka. God provides! Food, toiletries and minsan resto GCs (bilang hindi na kami makapag-date ng husband ko), sa blogging ko nanggagaling. God is good, all the time. ♥

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    1. I'm so glad it blessed you! Praise God for that =)

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  2. Such a beautiful post :) Thank you for spreading the love, light and positivity! Praise God talaga! Totoo yan - we will always have what we need at the exact time. Always.

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  3. You always hit a spot in my heart at the right time. That's why I love reading your blog. Thanks for reminding me to always thank God in good and bad times. He will never fail us. Keep spreading good vibes, F!

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    1. I'm happy God was able to use me to bless you in your struggles, too! Have faith, be strong, move forward! =)

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  4. Lovely post. Long time reader. This hits close to home. God bless you and your boys.

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    1. Thank you. God bless you, too, as you face whatever it is that you're going through!

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  5. This is such a great reminder of how things do turn out for the better eventually as long as you are willing to work hard and help yourself. You just need to have faith.

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  6. Thank you for blessing me with this post. I probably at the point where I'm frightened of the prospect of not having a regular income but also unwilling to accept an option that would truly make me unhappy. I'm praying that God will be the one to pull me through this one. :) Thank you, Frances.

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  7. Another beautiful and touching post, Frances! I faced the same fear too when a re-org happened at the ofc in 2012 and I was forced to transfer to a department that's double difficult in terms of work load. But it turned out yun pala ang calling ko ö Nakapag-travel pa ako ng wagas and discovered Palawan hehe!

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  8. Such an inspiring post. You deserve all your blessings, Frances :)

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  9. Thank you so much for this post Frances. I always read Topaz Mommy coz hey! I'm a new mom. I just visit this blog of yours once in a while and sobrang timing naman dahil ngayon ko to nabasa. I need this. It made me feel alot better. Thank you. Thank you.

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  10. Thank you so much for this post, Frances. I've been a follower since my firstborn (I have two boys, too!), but as of late, I have only been reading up on Mommy Topaz. My family and I are from Tacloban and have since relocated to Cebu. To say that starting a new life is a struggle is such an understatement, and today was one of our weakest points in this whole "rebuilding" process. I am so glad that I decided to come back to Topaz Horizon because this was just the post I needed. Thank you for being such an inspiration, Frances. Every little bit of uplifting is needed by survivors like us.

    By the way, congrats and God bless on the third baby!

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Thanks for dropping by my blog! It really means a lot that you spare the time to read... and comment!