by Tamara D. Fickas
On July 8th, God’s Provision in Tough Times released from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Over the next few weeks, join us as we meet some of the 25 authors of this fantastic book about overcoming financial hardships in the era of a down economy. The book is filled with stories of hope and is sure to lift your spirits.
Up fifth is Tamara D. Fickas:
In our culture, a common conversation starter begins, “What do you do for a living?” Much of how we define ourselves is often tied up in our title and the things we do during our working hours. This was me. I had been proud of my work, and without a job, I didn’t know how to answer the question of what I did.
~ God’s Provision in Tough Times
Names and the way we use them to define ourselves are important. The Bible illustrates this so many times, as we see God working in people’s lives and then giving them new names. Think of Abram and Sarai when they were called by God to leave everything they knew and start fresh. He then gave them the new names of Abraham and Sarah. As I went through the valley of unemployment, I came to realize God was using this time to reveal to me exactly how He sees me and the worth I have because I am His. The question of worth is something that almost everyone who has been unemployed has to deal with at some point.
We humans like to label ourselves and other people. One of the big ways we do this is through our jobs. What we do to pay the mortgage and put food on the table is often so much more; it defines a large portion of who we are. It becomes an extension of what we call ourselves.
When I lost my job, God called me to a new adventure and He had a perfect plan in that time. I had to let go of my old idea of who I was and what I called myself. It was the perfect opportunity for God to reveal in me His purpose and plan for my life. Unemployment forced me to look at who I am and how I react to life.
Our jobs not only have the ability to define us, they also help us feel valued and worthy because we are contributing to something outside ourselves. God created us to work, and when the work we’ve done is taken away it can lead us to question whom we are and what we have to offer. I never expected to struggle through these types of feelings, and I imagine many people don’t either. It’s only natural, though, when our life has been turned upside down.
When I was approached about contributing to the anthology, I knew I wanted to help others step outside of their circumstances to try to see how God was working even in the very tough times. So many people struggle with self-esteem and identity issues in conjunction with looking for a new job and trying to figure out how to keep their life together during these tough times. I think one of the recurring themes in God’s Provision in Tough Times is that many have this same struggle.
It is my hope that as people read my story they are encouraged that what they are feeling is normal and others have had the same feelings. God understands these feelings and can use our experiences to reveal himself to us in a deeper way. He is at work even when it seems like He’s not. And, He loves us no matter what.
Photo Courtesy of Microsoft Images
Tamara D. Fickas is a writer by night while working in a hospital business office by day. She has always seen the world in a series of stories and enjoys sharing those stories. In 1997, she had a very personal experience with the very living Lord and stepped into the greatest story of all times. It is her to desire to use her words to help share God’s love to a hurting and broken world.
Tamara has written for the reader’s section of her local newspaper and has written several biographies for www.inspirationalchristians.org. On her personal blog, www.rockymountainwriter.com, she shares her take on living an abundant life in the Lord.
A ten-month long period of unemployment helped Tamara see God’s provision in action. She hopes God’s Provision in Tough Times will bless and help others who are experiencing unemployment.
