To Sarah in Fort Worth
“Michael, I am a single-mom with two small kids, I’ve been at this job 15 years, but ever since new management came in, it feels like they’re pushing me out — and I can’t afford to leave.”
Sarah,
You’ve given your heart to that job: day in, day out, for 15 years. That kind of faithfulness should be honored and applauded. But now, with new management, it feels like they’re turning that loyalty into a liability. More demands. More scrutiny. Less respect. You’re carrying the weight of work and motherhood, and there’s no margin left — emotionally, financially, or spiritually.
Listen to me: You are not weak for feeling overwhelmed — you are strong for still showing up. You’re in the fire, and it’s refining you, not ruining you. This is a threshing floor moment. And in moments like these, God doesn’t waste suffering — He forges endurance:
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.
Romans 5:3-4, the Message
Be wise. Plan ahead. But don’t let fear make your decisions. Your worth is not decided by their approval and your future and your family’s future isn’t in their hands. God holds you in His Hands, and no-one, I mean no one or anything can pluck you from His Hands.
Hold the line. One day, your kids will say, “She never quit.”
And they’ll be right.
— Michael Vowell
Helpful Links for Sarah
Mayo Clinic – Job Burnout: How to Spot It and Take Action
Working Mother – Stress and Survival Tips
Psychology Today – Coping with Workplace Betrayal
Michael Vowell: Reflections on Grace, Love, and Leadership 