We’ve been married over a decade now. In that time, we’ve probably been unemployed and jobsearching about a quarter of the time. The other three quarters, we have made well under what would be considered a ‘comfortable’ wage.

Once upon a time, a single wage earner in a blue-collar job could make enough to support a family. It hasn’t been like that in awhile. In the current world, it often takes two full-time wage earners to keep things afloat.

At the beginning, only I worked, because his immigration paperwork hadn’t cleared yet. When it did, we both worked, and if there was ever a time when we were ‘comfortable’ it was during those few years. Once the second was born, I stayed home, and only he worked. And got laid off, and found new jobs and searched for work again.

This to say, being down to the wire financially is old hat for us. We’ve been without income for months at a time more times than I can even remember now. And it is never comfortable, despite being familiar. But there is one constant through it all –we have never lacked for anything. No matter how long we went between paycheques, our bills always got paid. Often at the very last moment, and sometimes in strange ways.

One would assume that, having played this pattern out dozens of times, it would become a place of comfortable expectation, but no. It is always — at least for me — a place of razor-edge faith. White knuckle faith. Just hold on.

We’re not broke yet, but with the build largely finished, husband has been searching for work. Job banks and ‘help wanted’ listings have done nothing at all so far. We’ve been praying into it; not just wanting A job, but rather the RIGHT job. The one Father would have him do in this time and season. He has an interview tomorrow. Having been off work for 13 months, he’d be happy to be employed at a wage again. I’d be pleased to see the bank account go up and not just down and down. But if the one tomorrow isnt right, I know we’ll be okay. Maybe at the dramatic last minute, but He’ll come through. He always has.