“Everything is OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.”

I’ll never forget this bit of advice my Grandma gave to me years ago. I can’t remember exactly why she said this to me, but if I had to guess it was probably because I got my heart broken by a boy. Oh, those teenage years — some I wish I could forget!

As I’ve gotten older and experienced much more difficult trials than a boy dumping me, I find myself coming back to this quote from time to time. It’s a good reminder — especially when life seems bleak and nothing is going your way.

On July 2nd, I found out I lost my job. Talk about a blow, especially during a global pandemic. This was a job I loved and the news came as a complete shock. One minute I was working on a project for the next day, and the next, I’m on a Zoom call getting told today is my last day and a courier will be by to pick up my work computer. (Yes, a Zoom call. Very professional.)

I remember shutting my computer after that 3 minute call and just bursting into tears. I was given no reason, no answers to my questions — I felt like my world just came crashing down. I called my boyfriend and, through tears, told him what happened. He rushed home to comfort me, but it didn’t change the fact that after 5.5 years of hard work and dedication, I was now jobless. I’ve never been divorced, but I felt like I was just served the papers. I felt powerless and all I could think was, “What do I do now?”

Well, I gave myself two options. Cry about it, or do something. I did both. I curled up in a ball and felt sorry for myself all day. I ate ice cream at 11:30 a.m. I drank wine before 5 p.m. I didn’t change out of my pajamas for the rest of the day.

Then the next morning, I got up, grabbed my computer and gathered every single award I had ever won and placed them on my dining room table. (Nothing wrong with a little motivation!) Then I opened my laptop and started to work on my resume.

Here is a visual.

I asked my boyfriend to snap this photo and send to me when I have a bad day. I feel so powerful in this photo. Strong, confident, bad ass. A stark contrast from the day before when I was drowning my sorrows in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. It’s been very reassuring to look at this photo these past couple of months, and something tells me I will need to glance at it from time to time in the years ahead, too.

Fast forward two months from the day this photo was taken and I am starting my first day at my new job. Not to mention, my first day is the day my severance from my old job ended. How crazy is that? Some may call it luck, but I say it’s a God thing.

I’m not going to lie and say it was easy to stay positive during those two months. I’m human. I doubt myself. I worry. But I was confident that God would not fail me. He has led me through the fire before and I knew He would do it again. And He did. He led me right to where I am supposed to be.

Maybe you are in a similar situation. Struggling with doubt and concerned about what is going to happen next. It can be overwhelming. But the good news is that God’s presence is overwhelming, especially in times of trial and doubt.

Stay hopeful, stay faithful and remember — if it’s not OK, it’s not the end.

Turns out Grandma was right again.

Love, L.