Very grateful

This past week, my former employer laid off about 10 people in what they are calling a "financial reorganization." In the press release they provided to us at The Jewish Chronicle, they said that several other positions had been eliminated through attrition. I firmly believe that my old job was one of those, which further leads me to believe that if I had still been working there this week, I would have been laid off as well.

A couple of people have said to me "you were smart to get out when you did." While it's true that I had known for a long time that the organization might downsize, and I knew I had an expendable position, it was really hashgacha pratis (divine providence) and not my own cleverness that saved me from unemployment.

Over the course of the last year, I had been casually job hunting online from time to time, and had sent my resume to a couple of places, but nothing looked particularly promising. And then, in August, the editor of The Chronicle called to invite me to apply for the associate editor position. If he had not called (which was very flattering), I would not have even known the job was available.

Ironically, I struggled quite a bit with the decision to change jobs -- in part because the old job offered certain benefits that the new job does not have. Ultimately, I reasoned, "Maybe this (the Chronicle job) is what I'm supposed to be doing right now. If I turn down this opportunity, I may never have another one like it." I also knew that I would feel really, really stupid if I turned down the Chronicle just to be laid off eventually.

I never expected to receive such a clear confirmation that I made the right decision. I feel so blessed to not only be working, but to have a job that I am enjoying so much.

It gives me a lot of comfort to look at life's situations and feel that G-d is guiding us along, and arranging circumstances in a particular way. There are so many times in life that it is easy to feel that G-d is denying us something (or many things) that we want very much (even feel we deserve). I have those thoughts plenty of times (especially with regard to not being married yet), but at least this week, I feel so grateful, and so blessed.