The character in the man

I was thinking back over the last few years and some of the things that had gone on in our lives. My husband had had 6 different jobs in 4 years, all paying thousands less than our living expenses. When you are in the midst of those times it is hard to see what good could be coming from it. You find yourself wondering if Papa/God has gone on vacation. All sorts of things come to your mind. You begin to question and wonder what Papa could be doing.

I knew after several months that it wasn't about the jobs. But what was it about? Papa was revealing to David the truth about what kind of man he really was. It wasn't about the money or the job. It was about the man.

One job in particular that he had was with a water company. He thought it was going to be customer service and route sales,
with good pay. It ended up being delivery, carrying 80 pounds of water everyday, running at full speed to get finished. Though we had prayed fervently for a good route, he ended up with the third worst route in the company. Leaving at 6:00AM and getting home around 8:00PM was common. Exhausted he would walk in the door, hungry and weary, but never giving up. He is a man of perseverance.

When Papa removed him from that job he opened another job at a handyman company. It was the most bizarre thing. Though the owner knew he had very little experience but he begged him to come and work for the company, telling him they would train him. He began his training, doing a perfect job on one of his assignments. Two and 1/2 weeks later they let him go after changing owners. Papa was restoring a place inside David, allowing him to face the lies of failure and walk away from them. He had not failed. He had given all he had to give. It was his best. He is a man of integrity.

The next job Papa took him to was a season where he worked two jobs. One job was full-time in the daytime working in an upscale fast food restaurant, and the 2nd job was at night 2-3 nights a week at Starbucks. He worked long and hard to make sure we were taken care of. I tried to go to work to alleviate one of the jobs, but he was insistent that I stay home with the children. Faithfully he went to work each day, never complaining. He is a man of faithfulness.

During that season, one of the men from church came up to pray for him, during the response time after worship. Before he started to pray he looked him in the eye and said, "God wants you to know that you are an honorable man. You are an example to the men here. There are men who wouldn't do what you are doing for your family." David's eyes welled up with tears. He needed to hear that. The weariness that was over him dissipated in that moment. He was honoring his Papa. That's all that mattered, really. It does alot to a man to be seen for who they really are. He is a man of honor.

Papa dropped another job in his lap. This job was promising and brought an income that allowed him to quit his 2nd job. The owner of the company ended up not being a man of his word. Every week David would have to go and fight for his paycheck.
One week in particular he had to stand up an challenge the owner. In that season I saw the warrior in the man. He is a man of strength.

Papa moved him on to another job with a contracting company. The owner of the company put his 24 year old son as boss. I saw grace in David as he submitted himself to the authority of a cocky young man who talked down to him with disrespect. He is a man of humility.

The company they were contracting for offered to take him on in a fulltime position. He accepted. Now he is working for men who see his work and appreciate him. He walked the "season of the jobs" with faithfulness. He never gave up. He is a man of endurance.

I was thinking back over those years the other day, since we are now out of them. A sense of awe, honor and respect came over me I realized how much I had seen during those times. Something deeper had taken place in my heart besides the pruning Papa had done. I had seen my man through Papa's eyes. I, like my Papa, am proud of him.

How often through the years had I seen the nitpicky things that irritated me above the character of the man? Too many, I'm afraid. Too many times I had focused on what he wasn't doing instead of all that he was. Something changed for me in that
season of life. I began to see the character of my man.

So how about you? What do you seeing in your man?

Rom. 13:7(Amplified) Render to all men their dues. [Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due.

With all my love, and gratitude for the man that you are, David, I honor you.
Jewel