by Eddie Jones
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 fourth is Eddie Jones:
In May of 1997, an employment headhunter called during dinner. We never answer the phone during dinner—or, at least we didn’t before cell phones. Back then, dinner was family time— those few minutes when our boys argued, refused to eat, my wife sulked, and I kept my head bowed while I shoveled in food. The boys no longer live with us. Now my wife and I eat from TV trays, speak too little, and watch lousy television shows. But in May of 1997, I felt compelled to answer the phone.
Turns out God called that evening.
“Can you be at IBM at 9:45 tomorrow morning? I have a job interview lined up for you.”
The headhunter spoke with a thick New York accent. I felt sure the call was a scam. I said as much and asked what he wanted, why he was calling me, and how much this “interview” would cost me. Joe assured me the meeting was a legit interview, that my resume had landed on his desk and IBM needed web programmers.
I skipped a few sales calls the next morning and drove to IBM’s main building in the Research Triangle Park. The interview lasted fifteen minutes. The head of the department spent most of our time on the phone. I sat across from him reviewing web code printed out on a sheet of paper. I recognized maybe 10 percent of the markup language. The truth was, I had no business claiming to be an “HTML Editor.” I had learned some HTML tags by looking at the source code of web pages and making changes to the letters. The only reason I put “HTML Editor” on my resume was because I wanted to be a full-time writer and I figured “editor” would look good on my list of skills.
The department head hung up and looked at me from across his desk. “Any questions?”
I shook my head, we chatted a little about IBM, and I left.
While driving to my sales job (I sold toilet paper), I remained convinced the only reason IBM called me in for an interview was to fill a quota. I figured the job would be filled in-house and they had to post and interview a certain number of candidates. I fit into their “loser candidate” folder.
That night, the headhunter called to tell me IBM wanted to offer me a contract with their PC division. It turns out, in 1997 IBM still sent all their web updates to Ogilvy and Mather, a New York ad firm. A simple text change on a web page cost IBM over a hundred dollars. To save money, CEO Lou Gerstner demanded the PC division bring basic web maintenance duties in-house. I was their first contract hire.
My friend Dale reminded me later that God loved me so much He created the Internet just so I would have a job. All I know is the first morning I drove to IBM, I felt terrified and relieved God had provided a new job. For two years I had prayed for him to find me work in another field—and now He had.
Excerpt from God’s Provision in Tough Times – She Cries on Saturdays.
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Fifteen years later God continues to lead me one day at a time. God ordains tough times. They draw us closer to Him and remind us that He alone is our true Provider, our Jehovah Jireh. I praise God in good times but I crawl up in His lap and cry during those terrifying tough times.
I pray a lot on airplanes. Not because I’m afraid of crashing, but because I enjoy listing God’s promises in my prayer journal, pouring out my heart, and claiming His provision and protection. On the ground, I’m too busy to give God more than twenty minutes a day. In the air, He gets hours.
I am honored God allowed me to testify about His goodness in God’s Provision in Tough Times but I know the tough times are not over. They are just beginning… and ending. We crawl into his lap, cry and complain, feel His hand dry our tears, hop down, enjoy a few hours of peace, and climb back in His lap. This is the life of a tough time survivor.
Thank God He is.
My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
Photo Courtesy of Alycia Morales
Eddie Jones is the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries. He is Acquisition Editor of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, an imprint of Christian Devotions Ministries. Eddie has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, an adult romantic comedy, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over twenty different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and Living Aboard Magazine, among other publications.
His Young Adult novel, The Curse of Captain LaFoote is available from Port Yonder Press as well as his newest release, Dead Man’s Hand from Zonderkids. From Lighthouse Publishing, My Father’s Business.
