waiting...

We received news this week that my school district will be cutting jobs due to the budget shortfall in the state. There are rumors flying around about how the cuts will be made, who will be the first to go, and when it will all go down. Because I am only in my third year with the district, I feel like I am in danger of being cut. It's been a whirlwind of emotions. I have been thinking about how we will cut our budget and what I would be able to do to earn some income for our family. At the end of last week, though, I was overwhelmed with peace. Not because I think I'm in the clear. I have no idea about that. But because I know that whatever happens will be completely orchestrated by God. I decided that it's not worth worrying about until I have to...and even if I am faced with losing my job, I shouldn't worry about it then either. There is a particular passage of scripture that has sustained me through this:

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."

Philippians 4:6-10 (The Message)