In December 2013, we sat down to strategize how the next year would go. We knew it would be our biggest year yet, specifically with the arrival of our first child, and finally becoming homeowners. Because of those two events, we anticipated our living costs would rise, so we talked about increasing our income 15% in 2014. Calculations showed we would manage better with such a margin if it came down to my wife becoming a stay-at-home mom. We could still get by on my current salary, but it'd be harder going forward. We had a few options at our disposal: (1) trim our budget so we live on less, (2) I get a second job that brings in the extra 15%, or (3) we somehow get raises or promotions that make up the 15%. We decided we would pursue all three options in the new year and see where we end up.
Enter 2014. We curb our appetites and the budget loses weight. Success! I start looking for contracts under my small business STRIVE. Promising! At our annual employee performance reviews, we inquire about raises and promotions, or lateral movement within our respective companies. Bleak! The first two options are viable, but the third is a no-go. We buy a house with 20% downpayment, leaving us with the lowest reserves we've seen in our entire marriage. Super! Then in April, we learn that my current job would be ending, the consequence of our company's acquisition and absorption into another. Bummer! Initially, it looks like the rest of the year will suck, but we chose to trust God still for our well-being and livelihood.
During that week, we literally "cast our burdens" unto God and reflected on how faithful He had been in our life thus far. We were reminded that when we yearned for a mate, we found each other although it wasn't how we had thought we'd meet our spouse. We wanted an easy marriage, and we have it. We wanted a child, and he'll be here in 3 weeks. We wanted a house, and we found it in 5 weeks. It even closed in much less time than short-sales usually do. We pray for good health and have generally lived it. Whatever we have needed, He has been faithful to provide, in His own time, in His own way.
Even in the impending job loss, we still see God's hand at work:
(1) The job does not end immediately -- I have until March 31, 2015. Most other layoffs have been immediate.
(2) It means we would still have our health coverage, which we think is important to have for at least the baby's first few months. We'll have 7 months.
(3) At the end of the job, I'll receive a severance package equivalent to 16 weeks of my current pay. That's 4 months income while I look for another job. I sense that we'll need me home these four months with the baby, depending on how childcare works out.
(4) It would have been impossible to get a 15% raise soon enough in this job, even through promotion. I would have had to work a lot more hours chasing the unattainable goal at the expense of time spent with family.
(5) Until the job ends, I have ample time to find a good job that can meet our original goal, without pressure to find something quickly or settle for the first thing that comes down the pipe.
(6) I can use the time until then to spruce up my resume, update my skills and even attain new ones that would make me more marketable. I've perused the job postings and feel confident that I will find work relatively easily when I start applying. It's also given me a chance to learn what skills are in demand today so I can prepare accordingly.
(7) The company has changed so much since the acquisition that some perks we were counting on after the baby arrives will no longer be there. The flexibility to work from home is gone (they prefer everyone to be in the office), among other things. Eventually, I would have hated working here.
For many people, losing a job is the worst blow to their lives. But we are blessed that we are in the best possible financial and emotional position to handle this impending job loss, so our pity party lasted only a week. Our emergency plans allow for a worst-case scenario of 6 months basic living if we
both lost our jobs. Besides that, the severance package and unemployment benefits would cover us for up to 2 years. That in itself is a blessing, to have such safety nets in place.
We nonetheless do not anticipate that I will be unemployed for long, if at all. I'll officially start looking for another job in February 2015, although if a great opportunity presents before then, I'll seriously consider it. We trust that God will still be providing our daily needs no matter what happens, and are eagerly anticipating how the rest of the year will unfold.
