So I thought over the next coming weeks (or months) I’d share some of the lessons I’m being taught and hopefully learning from. Today, I thought I’d share the first lesson from my layoff.

I was actually out sick the morning my other three colleagues received their retrenchment letters, so I got mine on Tuesday, June 12. Emotionally, I was fine all day at work -- naturally, a little shaken, but didn’t breakdown at all. That held until I got home and tried to sleep that night. That’s when I experienced my first REAL moment of panic, “I just signed a year lease. I have bills to pay. What am I going to do? Should I try to get out of my lease? Can I get out of my lease? How much is that going to cost me? Electric bill? What am I going to do about health insurance? Rent? What am I going to do if Fort Worth doesn’t hire me? What if I can’t get a job? Student loan payment? FUEL costs?”

By 1:30am (now Wednesday) I was in tears. I gave up trying to sleep, and decided to put my thoughts to pen and paper, but after about 30 minutes I was still in a state of unrest, so I decided to read to try to settle my thoughts and get my mind on something else. Luckily, I decided to get a jump start on that day’s scripture readings, and Isaiah 40 & 41 were on the agenda. Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve read Isaiah 40 lots of times -- seen its last verse plastered on countless numbers of t-shirts, posters, coffee mugs, and every father’s day gift from here to yonder. But for some reason, at 2 o’clock in the morning, the association was initially missed as I began reading the chapter with fresh eyes.

Chapter 40 deals with the Greatness of God. It starts off by talking about the preparations for Christ; things were set in place in order so that “then the glory of the Lord will be revealed.” Upon Christ’s arrival, “like a shepherd he will tend His flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs. And carry them in His bosom; He will lead the nursing ewes.” (It didn’t hurt that this reminded me of the meaning of my name: “little lamb/ewe of God.)

The chapter goes on to detail the Greatness of God in question form by rhetorically asking, “Who measured the waters? Who marked off the heavens? Who calculated the dust? Who measured the earth?” The rhetorically answer: God. I’ve always envisioned questions like these throughout scripture like something my mom would say instead of “because I said so,” after I’d protest by asking, “why?”

The chapter continues, giving clues in a round of Match Game. Just in case you couldn’t figure it out; in case “you don’t know or haven’t heard from the beginning -- the foundation of the earth, It is He who sits above sits above the earth, reduces rulers to nothing, and makes the judges of the earth seem meaningless.”

“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by numbers, he calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His strength of His power not one of them is missing.

Still don’t know? Still haven’t heard? He? The One? Well, let’s get more specific.

28“The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth. Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

29 He gives strength to the weary. And to the one who lacks might He increases power.

30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young stumble badly,

31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

I like how it’s not just God, but “1)The Everlasting God, 2)The Lord, 3)The creator of the ends of the earth.” Surely one of those will ring a bell. And The Everlasting God doesn’t grow weary or tired -- completely the opposite! Strong and mighty, God gives to the weak and weary because there’s no worry that it will run out because God IS. I love the fact that the result -- “mount up with wings like eagles,” “run and not get tired,” “walk and not become weary” -- is not an outcome of one who always strong and powerful. It’s guaranteed that “youths grow weary and tired and stumble badly,” New strength is gained from waiting, giving time to make ready the landscape for God to bless.