October 21: When Work Stopped, Faith Worked: Surviving Unemployment Together

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 When Work Stopped, Faith Worked: Surviving Unemployment Together

Living through Unemployment and Depression: A wife’s experience

Anonymous

Anonymous Contributor, 
Bodden Town SDA

Those years were some of the most challenging of my life.  My husband went through a period of employment instability.  It felt like a roller coaster – anticipation after submitting a job application, excitement at the news of landing a job and gut – wrenching pain at the news of termination.  Many times, I wished that I was the one having employment challenges and not my husband.  He struggled to share his feelings about what was going on and withdrew into the world of television.  And then there were the times that he was irrationally angry with me for the slightest comment.  I started to feel as if I was walking on eggshells and even considered separation. Eventually, he saw a doctor who diagnosed him with depression.  This diagnosis started our journey out of the stress and tension surrounding his withdrawal and anger, as we now had a better understanding of what was taking place and took significant steps to address the issues.

 I would not have been able to make it through that period without God’s help.  He listened to me when I prayed and sent words through the Bible that assured me that He was with me.  He sent good friends with whom I could share my challenges.  He provided an excellent book for me – “Let me sow light: Living with a Depressed Spouse” by Amy Viets and Bernadette Stankard that helped me to realise that I was not alone and that there was hope. 

 If you are the spouse of someone who is unemployed, I would like to share some things that helped me.

 

  • Take care of yourself. 
    • Prioritise your time with God.
    • Maintain your relationships with friends who will spend time with you, listen to you without judging you or your spouse and will pray with you.
    • Exercise.
  • Build your relationship with your spouse.
    • Communicate support and concern for your spouse.
    • Assist him/her in searching for jobs. 
    • Don’t spend all, or even most, of your time talking about employment issues. 
    • Start new hobbies or continue old hobbies as a couple. 
    • Pray together.


We made it through that very difficult situation.  We are now both employed and perhaps, more importantly, we are still married.    I am here to encourage you to hang on and keep trusting God if you are going through a similar situation right now.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
In times of loss and uncertainty, remind us that You are our steady anchor. When the weight of unemployment and depression feels too heavy to bear, fill our hearts with Your peace and renew our hope. Strengthen our marriages, deepen our compassion, and help us to walk in grace toward one another. May Your light guide us through every dark valley until joy is restored.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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