Opportunity Overpass: Rebuilding Faith While Job-Hunting and Caregiving

I’ll never forget the sinking feeling in my stomach years ago when I learned NASA had shifted its mission priorities—and my job wasn’t a priority for them. For years, I’d poured my time, talents, and tenacity into a role I truly believed in—only to be let go. My mind spun with questions about paying bills, planning for the future, and finding another meaningful position. Thankfully, God used that unexpected change to create a new path that eventually led me to seminary. Along the way, I learned a life-changing truth: Count it all joy, even when you’ve lost your job.

Looking back, I call that juncture of my journey “Opportunity Overpass”—a hidden gift that paved the way for a deeper purpose and invaluable lessons.

Recently, I experienced another round of job loss while caring for my 97-year-old mother. Suddenly, I was juggling job applications, home health visits, grocery runs, and medication schedules. Some days felt like a detour around an impregnable roadblock. Yet again, God showed me that what seemed like a dead end was another Opportunity Overpass—a bridge to a deeper faith in Him, a new sense of calling, and a closer bond with my mom.

Counting it All Joy When Facing the Loss of Your Job

James 1:2–4 urges us to “count it all joy” when facing trials because testing our faith produces perseverance, which brings maturity. If you’ve lost your job, are a caregiver, or both, “joy” might not be your initial response. I get it—fear, anxiety, and exhaustion can dominate our thoughts.

Embracing this perspective doesn’t mean ignoring hardships; it means recognizing that God can use every setback to reshape, refine, and realign us. This shift was pivotal for me: once I remembered God was orchestrating a bigger picture than I could see at the moment, I began to see my job loss (and caregiving duties) with eyes of hope and creativity. Often, the greatest blessings emerge when our well-laid plans crumble, forcing us to rely entirely on God’s creative provision—one day at a time.

Why “Counting it All Joy When You’ve Lost Your Job” Helps You Rebuild

1. It Shifts Your Perspective: Viewing adversity as a potential blessing changes your emotional posture. You begin to look for evidence of God’s hand—even in disappointments—which fuels ongoing hope rather than despair.

2. It Opens You to God’s Provision: When we stop fighting reality, we start noticing the ways God meets our needs. From unexpected checks in the mail to timely referrals for new job leads, God consistently shows up—even if His methods don’t look like we’d planned.

3. It Deepens Your Relationship With God: Trials have a way of drawing us to the Lord. Turning to Him daily—sometimes hourly—fosters a dependency that enriches our prayer life and builds intimacy with the One who never leaves us.

Sacrifice as a Path to Realignment

1. Letting Go of Your Career Path

At first, I felt paralyzed, unsure which steps to take. Then, slowly, steadily, God opened doors of joy and peace in the process, even before opening the door to a new position. Like the “formless and void” earth in Genesis 1:2, my job loss felt like a gaping hole—until God filled it with His creative power. In that stillness, I sensed His quiet assurance: This isn’t the end. It’s a new beginning.

You see, I’d mapped out a career path that promised financial security and stability. But in surrendering that plan, I freed myself to explore new possibilities—flexible or remote options I might never have considered otherwise. That forced sacrifice reoriented my eyes toward the doors God was quietly opening. Letting go isn’t the end; it’s the first step toward something far more significant.

Joy Factor: Realigning your career with God’s will often leads to unexpected blessings. Each job application and interview isn’t an exercise in futility but a step in His unfolding plan.

2. Surrendering Self-Sufficiency

I’ve always prided myself on being capable and independent. However, caregiving and job hunting proved too big to tackle alone. At first, reaching out to church friends and extended family—who had kindly offered meals or brief in-home support for my mom—felt like swallowing my pride. Yet, letting others bless me taught me that independence can morph into isolation if I’m not careful.

Joy Factor: Leaning on your community can spark gratitude and humility. By depending on others, I discovered a more profound sense of interconnectedness—part of God’s design for how we thrive together.

3. Releasing Old Priorities

In my old career-focused mentality, hitting professional goals sometimes overshadowed personal relationships. But as a caregiver, time with my mother—like reading Scripture by her bedside and praying together—suddenly eclipsed quarterly reports and staff meetings. Realizing that was a pivotal shift, one I now see as realignment: God was reminding me that loving Him and loving others is the highest calling.

Joy Factor: Embracing new priorities can infuse mundane moments with spiritual significance. Simple acts like feeding my mom or talking through family memories became sacred spaces where I felt God’s presence.

Practical Steps Toward Joyful Realignment

1. Pray for Perspective: Ask God to help you see trials as opportunities for growth.

2. Identify What You’re Sacrificing: Name what you must let go of—be it a dream position, your sense of personal achievement, or even illusions of control—and offer it back to God in prayer.

3. Practice Gratitude Daily: Jot down three blessings each evening to focus on God’s goodness.

4. Accept Community Support: Embrace offers of help. Remember, God often provides through people.

5. Stay Open to God’s Surprises: Trust that God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11)—and He’s weaving your story into something extraordinary.

Embracing the Opportunity Overpass

Job loss and caregiving might look like separate mountains, but they can intersect at an Opportunity Overpass—where your plans end and God’s begin. Yes, it involves sacrifice and realignment. But by counting it all joy when you’ve lost your job, you invite God to turn setbacks into setups, transforming your dead ends into divine beginnings. Surrender your detours to Him and watch as He paves the way for the next remarkable chapter in your life.