How Long, O Lord, How Long?
COVID-19 has brought a host of emotions, hurdles, and changes for everyone. For some, these changes include the loss of a job. And while there are many books that give advice on finding new employment, Dale Kreienkamp’s devotion How Long, O Lord, How Long? addresses the many emotions that come with unemployment and where God is working in that process.
“I think people get surprised by the emotions: anxiety, anger, embarrassment, self-confidence, and even struggles with identity,” Kreienkamp explains. He is no stranger to unemployment as twice he has had his positions eliminated due to organizational restructuring. “When I was first unemployed, my kids were at school, my wife worked part time, and I was left alone. Often people see their coworkers more than their own family, and when that’s taken away it can be very lonely.”
Kreienkamp continues to explain that often the wrong question is asked when unemployed. “Many people ask ‘WHY’... people should be asking ‘WHAT’. What am I supposed to learn? And what am I supposed to do next?”
Easy to read and well organized, How Long, O Lord, How Long uses firsthand experience and Scripture passages to guide the reader along the many ups and downs of first learning of unemployment, telling friends and family, seeking new work, and healing from the loss of a job. This devotion is not only helpful for those unemployed, but family and friends of someone unemployed will also find its material insightful and useful in supporting their unemployed loved one.
It can also serve as a great resource tool for churches. “Every year there are 21.7 million job losses in the United States in a normal year– this isn’t even including COVID-19, this is a 10 year average... and often there are people in congregations not talking about unemployment.”