The Road to Becoming a Work at Home Dad {Part 3}

February 25th, 2013

To catch up on this series Brad has been writing on his journey from unemployment to entrepreneur start here.

• {Part 1}
• {Part 2}

I remember a self-determination welling up inside of me almost immediately.  I was not even going to apply for unemployment, because I was going to find something before that was necessary.  I told Jen I would take a job at the first opportunity and then continue to look for something to replace my income from there.  I had not even considered that even the “easy to find” jobs were now very competitive as companies all across our city continued to hand out pink slips.  My self-determination was melting, the Lord was beginning the process of showing me that I needed to depend on Him, not myself.

I had never felt the weight of being our sole provider before this.  Entrepreneurship had always been something I had dreamed about in the back of my mind, but I had no business knowledge, no plan, and  no hope of going that route.  After all, it would be irresponsible to take a “risky” route like that when I have a family to provide for.

Then one Sunday I was talking with my friend Mark at church. I lamented about the stress I was under to find a job because I was “the provider” for our family.  Mark’s response would change the course of my life, he reminded me of some truth I had forgotten.  Eyebrows raised, he said, “who is your provider?”

In that moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks that although I was giving lip service to trusting the Lord with my job situation, I was really trusting in myself.  It was proven out by my words and attitudes as I examined them.  That day, I began to remind myself regularly that God would provide, and if I would just trust in his provision, He would also get the glory.  This also allowed me to relax a bit and think more clearly.  If God is our provider, and I trust Him, then I just need to be diligent to look for a solution, but leave the actual results up to him.  This took a tremendous weight off my shoulders.  I could now look at Jen without guilt over not finding anything and remind her that I would be employed again when the Lord saw fit.

Two months later there were a handful of resumes sent and very few perspective employment opportunities.  My faith in God’s provision was strong some days, and weak on others.  Then one day, my supervisor from Woolpert reached out to me about some work they were needing done that they no longer had anyone in-house to do.  Woolpert could not hire me directly because of legal regulations related to my recent layoff, but he tipped me off that they needed this work done and I might be able to do the work through another consultant they were going to hire for the project.  After talking with that consultant, they hired me to complete the project.  Even thought this project would lack in filling our financial needs, it became the spark God would use to  ignite a flame in my soul. 

I had no idea at the time, but the Lord had plans to fan that flame into an intense desire to grow a new business, career, and passion as an entrepreneur…

{Continue to Part 4}