The Steady Step

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:21, 23-26

The news landed like a bomb at the morning meeting: “TecnoSolutions” was making a massive cut. Thirty percent of the staff would be laid off by the end of the week. Immediately, a wave of dread swept through the office. Whispered conversations filled the hallways, and the sound of keyboards was replaced by the anxious silence of people secretly updating their résumés.

Amidst the widespread panic, Daniel’s calmness was almost disconcerting. While his colleagues despaired, he continued his work with the same diligence as always. He was not naive; he knew his name could be on the list. He had a wife, a young son, and a mortgage. The possibility of losing his job was, objectively, terrifying.

“How can you be so calm?” his colleague, Flávio, asked him at lunch. “I haven’t slept in two nights. My mind won’t stop thinking about the worst.”

Daniel took a sip of his juice.

“I’m not calm, Flávio. I’m confident. There’s a difference.”

For Daniel, “sound judgment and discernment” were not just religious concepts, but the foundation of his life. They were the principles he never lost sight of, no matter the circumstance. He did not live extravagantly, but had built a small emergency fund over the years. He did not base his worth on his job title, but on his character. He did not place his ultimate security in his company ID, but in his faith in God.

Years earlier, he had gone through an anxiety crisis so severe it had landed him in the hospital. It was then that his pastor told him something that changed his life: “Daniel, you can’t control the storms that come from the outside. But you can strengthen the anchor that is within. The wisdom of God is that anchor.”

From that day on, he began to “keep” these principles. He learned to live one step below his means, to be generous, to not go into debt for status, to find joy in simple things. He was, without knowing it, preparing himself for “sudden disaster.”

On Friday, the layoff list came out. Daniel’s name was on it.

Flávio, who remained, approached him, devastated.

“Man, I’m so sorry. It’s so unfair.”

Daniel took a deep breath. The news hurt, of course. But it did not break him. “It’s okay, Flávio. It’s going to be okay.”

As he emptied his desk, placing his things in a cardboard box, he felt the pitying stares of his colleagues. But he did not feel like a victim.

That night, when he got home, he hugged his wife, Carla. He told her the news. She held him tight.

“We will get through this together,” she said. “The Lord is with us.”

He lay in bed, the ghost of bills hovering in his mind. Fear tried to settle in. But then, he remembered what he had built. A financial reserve that would give them a few months of breathing room. A professional network based on respect, not on politics. And, most importantly, a faith that was not a charm to avoid problems, but a fortress to face them.

His confidence was not in the absence of trouble, but in the certainty that he would not fall into a trap and be snared. He was not helpless.

He fell asleep quickly, a deep and dreamless sleep. The promise of the proverb was fulfilled not in the prevention of the crisis, but in the peace, he felt amidst it. While many of his former colleagues, even those who stayed, would spend the night awake, fearing the future, Daniel slept. His path had become uncertain, but his inner step remained steady, for his trust was anchored in a wisdom that no corporate crisis could shake.

(Made with AI)

This story is part of my book Everyday Wisdom

https://books2read.com/u/3knogL