It's a No, and It's Unanimous
By Jim Mitchell
“Jim, I just wanted to call and tell you, it’s a no … and by the way, it was unanimous.”
That’s the call I received letting me know I’d not gotten the job.
I’d been waiting anxiously. This was not just any job—it was my dream job. One I felt qualified and gifted for. One I’d worked hard to attain and really wanted. And honestly, one I badly needed because my wife and I were in a difficult financial spot at the time. Which is what made the call so difficult.
Well, that and the fact that it wasn’t a simple no. It was a no with the added detail, “it was unanimous.” Apparently not a single person there felt I was the right fit. Not one.
We weren’t just disappointed, we were devastated. Like, sobbing-together-in-the-floor devastated. Literally. We prayed and we tried to turn our focus to the future, but it crushed us.
Then something beautiful happened. “It’s a no, and it’s unanimous” became our rallying cry. Words that had wounded also created a defiant us-against-the-world resolve in the face of questions:
- Is it true that not a single person sees our value?
- Has God really abandoned us?
- Will we put joy on hold and stop dreaming of a bright future together?
“It’s a NO!” We said it together and we meant it. A unanimous vote of two.
Looking back, I know God was right alongside us the whole time. So I would never seek to diminish His presence.
But I’ll also tell you, this was a profoundly human moment for us, where we looked each other in the eye and learned beyond any doubt that one plus one does not simply equal two. Sometimes in a marriage, when spouses cling to one another as God intends, one plus one equals enough.
Click here to read how to avoid the “If Only” and “What If?” traps.
The Good Stuff: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Action Points: What unanimous “No!” needs to come from you and your spouse today to bind you together in the hope of a bright future?
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