This is the next edition of our series on how real men battle to keep hope alive during difficult seasons. Today, we hear from Paul La Vigne, Director of Operations for Impactus | Promise Keepers Canada.
After 25 years, it was over in a matter of minutes. Losing a job for any reason can be a very challenging thing. I had given a good part of my life to the company, and I didn’t see this coming.
The day I found out, I drove home in shock, trying to make sense of it all. The first thing that rose inside me was James 1:2, “Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness”. This was a huge trial, and my faith was certainly being tested.
As I pulled the car over to call my wife, I sensed God give me this word: Released. I felt He was saying that He was releasing me from what I had been doing for so long and that there was something greater for me to do. My wife and I agreed that this didn’t take God by surprise and that He had a plan for me.
Once home, we prayed, and we prayed, casting it all onto God. We had an incredible sense of peace knowing that God was in complete control and that He would see us through this. We were thankful for the great years I had with the company, the people I worked with, the valuable knowledge I had gained, and the opportunities I had been given to grow. We prayed for the company’s future success and my now-former colleagues.
For six months, I stood on God’s Word and trusted Him for the next steps: “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). It wasn’t easy, and there were many low points, but through it all, I knew God was in control.
Nearly six months to the day, I began working with Promise Keepers Canada | Imapctus and being a part of ministering to men across Canada. I have the privilege of working with the ministry that has had a profound impact on my life and shaped who I am as a man.
As I reflect on the season I endured, I kept hope alive by faith that God had a plan for me, and that I had to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). I can honestly say that through it all, the testing of my faith did produce steadfastness and perseverance and has prepared me for the next trial (John 16:33).
As we approach Easter and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we must remember what Jesus went through for us. When we truly understand the pain and suffering He endured for us, it makes our problems seem small in comparison and much easier to count it all as joy.
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