Yesterday seemed like it was going well. I got to go to the Code Red Rally and then came back and did an interview with Michael Berry’s show on KTRH in Houston, which was really fun.

Then I found out I lost my job.

Yep. I’m unemployed. Immediately. One week before Christmas. I’m officially a cliche’. One of those people that you  hear about through the grapevine and pray that you never become. Or as my mother suggested last night this sounds like the plot to a bad Lifetime movie.

The news of it is still sinking in. Thankfully, I have two weeks of severance, which will help tremendously. I’m also jumping into the job search. This morning, I was at my computer by 8 a.m. updating my resume and emailing contacts.

Unemployment is a strange concept. I’ve never not had a job. The summer after I turned 16, I got a job and never stopped working. Even before 16, I always had regular babysitting jobs. Most of the time I’ve juggled multiple jobs.  I have no idea what it’s like to be unemployed.

I’ve read a number of blogs about unemployment, and my friend Rachel maintains an amazing blog about being laid off in San Francisco. DC is a better job market than most, and I have job skills in an emerging field.

On one hand, it’s nice to have an extended Christmas break. On the other hand, no one is working. My chances of quickly finding a job are decreased.

In some chick lit book that I read, the main character tries to find three positives to a challenging situation. 1) I have time to blog more. 2) One of my goals before I turn 30 is to write a book. I don’t care if it ever gets published. I’ve always wanted to just accomplish the feat of writing one. A while back I got started on it, and now I can devote more energy to it. 3) Long Christmas vacation. I can’t afford to do anything, but I do get time off.

Since the moment I heard the news, I felt God telling me that this would be alright and losing my job is somehow a part of His plan. That reassurance is sustaining me. I really don’t know how people without faith make it. Since I was saved as a little kid, I don’t remember life before the Holy Spirit. I can’t imagine life without the promise of Romans 8:28-29.

Anyone out there looking for a blogger or social media person? Anyone looking for a writer?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 10:40 am and is filed under Beltway Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.