It was our first year anniversary, and we went all out—as best we could at the time. After celebrating with a candlelit dinner, a scheduled massage, and a night in a fancy hotel, our celebration was complete. We felt pretty accomplished. 366 days of marriage and counting.
The next morning, my husband and I woke up in our hotel room and began reading the Word together. While reading a chapter in Matthew aloud, Evan, my husband, paused. He highlighted, said a couple of “hmmm”’s and continued reading. He paused again, considered speaking, but then hesitated at the last minute.
A few seconds later, and with careful word placement, Evan completely upended whatever 3 year-plan we didn’t quite have.
“I think I’m supposed to quit my job.
Yeah, I don’t know.
But I’m pretty sure this is the Lord speaking.
Can you pray on it too? It’s just that….while reading, I heard that.”
“Yeah. Okay. Just like... while reading that section (a section of scripture that had absolutely nothing to do with relinquishing a stable source of income) you heard that?” I cautiously questioned.
It wasn’t that Evan hated his job. But it wasn’t something he lept with joy about when returning home from work. It was more like that subtle nuisance of an activity that he felt forced to do eight to ten hours per day, as a postgraduate who needed more work experience. And when he was home, any recollection of that nuisance was politely put away until the next day’s clock-in.
“Yeah. I can definitely pray.”
I prayed right then to myself and knew immediately that this was the Lord speaking. Not only did I feel the hand of God in this, but I also knew that whatever Evan was led to do, he needed to act quickly.
One day later, Evan put in his two weeks’ notice.
Immediately, we felt a sense of peace. As scary as it was- a new city, newly married, and with no immediate family around-we knew we did exactly what we were supposed to do.
We just didn’t know the journey that awaited us upon doing so.
Evan took to applying for jobs immediately. Living on my income (a teacher’s salary at that), in the city of Chicago, wasn’t quite ideal. I felt led to fast from eating all meat (including fish) until Evan got his next fancy job. At the time, I ate meat three times a day. But it didn’t matter. I knew he’d get a job pretty quickly...since it was the Lord who told him to quit, right?
Well, after three months of unexpected rejections, Evan became an Uber driver.
Some mornings before leaving the house, I’d let Evan know the exact amount of money he needed to make before a bill was withdrawn from our account. Our savings were slowly dwindling.
One Sunday evening, Evan left the house at 11 PM due to an Uber driver demand. Because there was a surge in pricing, Evan made $74 in 38 minutes (he still can recall these exact numbers years later). He walked through our apartment door feeling accomplished. I couldn’t have been more proud.
Our first apartment.
After three months of Ubering, we decided to celebrate Evan’s birthday by going to Memphis to spend time with family. Thank God for Megabus’ pricing.
Evan photobombing me on our Megabus ride from Chicago to Memphis.
After six months, whatever adventure we signed up for began to look less promising. It honestly didn’t make any sense as to why my exceptionally qualified husband was not getting a job. It baffled us both. Every time Evan neared a final round of interviews, someone else was chosen. Or the job was handed to someone else in-house.
We needed money. I craved meat. And people’s skepticism over our “following the Lord faith move” began to annoy me.
After eight months of searching, Evan came across a promising job opportunity through one of our close contacts. Although this job would be in a completely different area of work than preferred, it offered good pay with an early start date. Our contact anticipated excitement from us both. And we were. But then we prayed.
We both knew that this wasn’t it.
Eight months turned into nine months.
Not only did we appear crazy, but some moments we felt crazy.
One evening after work, I got home and found Evan dressed up.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh, the Hendersons invited us out for dinner. Apparently, they have some really good news to share with us.”
“Ohh… where?”
“Indian Garden.”
Indian Garden was an upscale Indian restaurant in the heart of downtown. One of my favorite eateries in Chicago.
We got in the car and drove to the restaurant just 15 minutes away. I couldn’t help but ask.
“So where is the money going to come from? We just did our budget. This is going to easily cost us $50 with tip.”
“I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.”
I sighed.
We pulled up and began to park.
“Ev...let’s park further down. Parking is going to cost us at least $10 if we park here. Let’s just walk.”
“It’s okay. I’ll make some extra money Ubering. Don’t worry.”
I rolled my eyes. We could use that extra money towards a lot else.
We walked into the restaurant and were immediately seated. The Hendersons hadn’t made it in yet. I could smell vindaloo and only imagined the different meats marinating in an array of spices.
“Go ahead and get whatever you want.”
“Ev, we have a budget.”
“In fact, get some meat if you want to.”
“You know I’m fasting….”
Evan let out his invisible lion’s mane.
What was he so proud of?
He continued speaking.
“ You know that weekend that I said I was going out of town for that church conference?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I was actually interviewing for ___. They paid for my hotel and everything. I wanted to surprise you. I got the job bae. Here’s your new client exec.”
He got the job. (And I could order my fish vindaloo.)
I got on my knees and kneeled over the seat of my dinner chair. Not symbolically but quite literally.
“Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank You Jesus.”
Tears streamed down my face without effort. No one knew how hard it was to not give up.
This was what we were waiting for.
Ten months of waiting.
We never missed a meal. We never missed a bill. The Lord took care of us throughout, even in the midst of so many thinking we were crazy, naive, and unwise.
This was what was on the other side of obedience—increased dependence and trust in the Lord.
Evan’s new job was double the pay of his previous job. Yes, DOUBLE.
One year after initially quitting his job, we bought our first condo.
Six months into his new job, we conceived our firstborn. Three months into my pregnancy, Evan received an email stating that his new job’s paternity policy had recently changed. He would be receiving three months of paternity leave, with 100% pay. His new job doubled their paternity leave period. Yes, DOUBLED.
2.5 years after Evan quit his first job, we were in the financial position that allowed me to leave my full-time job in order to work at home, nurturing our little one (and now little ones).
God is good. He is Faithful. And I hope this testimony leads you to look to the One who is unchanging, forever Good, and always available. If He did it for us, He is more than capable of doing it for you.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:6
Fun fact: I don’t even eat meat anymore, by choice (hahaha).