Pure Gift

                I recently heard someone refer to an experience in his life as “pure gift”.  I may have heard this term before, but didn’t pay attention to it.  This time, I halted in my tracks and need to ponder the meaning and search my life for time of pure gift.

                The “pure gift” received by this individual was a vacation.  He was invited to go on vacation by a friend who had been given the use of a timeshare for a week.  Out of the blue, someone offered him the use of airline miles, if he ever had a need. The week was filled with great weather, terrific friendship, favorite activities and joy. 

                Pure gift is the way I now would describe last year for my family, although it was difficult to think of unemployment as any sort of gift.  If you read this blog, you will know that my husband was unemployed for most of 2011, being laid off in early January just three days short of his 21^st anniversary. Although he received a generous severance package, the shock of not going to work was difficult.    

                By early April, it was apparent that this search was going to be much more difficult than originally thought.  We enjoyed the time together as a family.  He attended every one of our son’s basketball, baseball and football games and became involved in a men’s faith group at church.  He also spent much time with his parents, who live with us.  And the two of us had more time together than we have had since early in our marriage.

                In June, the job search took a back seat to my father in law’s failing health.  My husband had to take my father in law to the emergency room on Father’s Day.  We didn’t realize that he would not return to our home.  Weeks of hospital care, interspersed with re-hab in a nursing home, ended in early August when his father died.  Without a job, my husband was able to spend many hours with his father and mother during those weeks.

                September came, and we were hopeful that a job would be just around the corner. Fortunately, my business had picked up considerably, which meant we were able to take a smaller amount out of saving each month.  Although he had a number of interviews, including some second interviews, in early December, we began to look at our savings, to determine where we would take money from to live.

                Then, on a Sunday, he had an interview.  By this time, I wasn’t paying too much attention to first interviews.  It was good to see my husband in a suit as he headed out the door.  He received a job offer the next day.  When he had me listen to the voice mail, I just looked at him.  Just as suddenly as he became unemployed, he was employed.

                He has been back to work for two months.   I am so thankful for the time of unemployment.  We still had some money left over from his severance package, he walk the last days with his father in a way that would not have been possible had he been employed.  His relationship with our son and with me is strong and his relationship with God grew exponentially. 

                Truly this is pure gift.