This week, as I was going through my online news feeds, which included updates on the government shutdown, I came across several stories about furloughed federal workers and contractors standing in line at food banks in Maryland and the D.C. area. In Landover, Maryland, the lines were extremely long, with numerous cars parked on the street near the Capital Area Food Bank. Just over 4 miles away in Hyattsville, Maryland, photos captured the expressions of apprehension of those patiently waiting for food that mostly consisted of dried, processed and shelf-stable items. Some in line, probably wanting to conceal their identities, were wearing sunglasses. Some were talking on their phones. Others were looking away in deep contemplation, most likely wondering how they could end up needing help with groceries when they had what most would consider a steady and reliable job working for the government. If you just randomly passed anyone in these lines on a typical day, you would not assume they were bordering on food insecurity. But here we are in a time when people who are not homeless and gravely destitute are struggling to make ends meet.

According to CNN reports, approximately 1.4 million federal employees are still working without pay or are furloughed as the shutdown ends its third week, and nonessential federal court workers have been temporarily laid off as funding reserves dry up. Here in Ohio, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank recently provided food for workers at the city's local airport. Bills are mounting for these workers as rent and mortgage payments come due, along with utilities and other debts they must pay. For those without a comfortable savings account to tide them over, missing a paycheck can cause considerable financial strain.

As I continued to view photos of food lines on CNN and NBC News websites, I thought about how I probably have a lot in common professionally with so many in need. Many are college-educated and have diligently given of their time and talents to their careers. Many also have children, some of whom may be in college, and other family members to care for. Others in the military have served our country with pride and dedication and never thought they would be in a spot where they needed assistance. A response from one woman, a 21-year military veteran, in an interview by NBC News was particularly heartbreaking. "I've not been in this predicament ever," she shared, lamenting that her job, which she viewed as secure, had been "snatched away." Furloughed workers expressed frustration and anger in other news stories. A tax law expert with 33 years of public service, waiting in line in Washington, spoke of barely making her mortgage payments and said it is unfair for members of Congress to continue being paid while government agency operations have halted.

To invest two to three decades of one's life in a specific career and then face financial hardship and uncertainty is indeed very disappointing and painful. It also shows that no matter how carefully we strategize our professional paths, something can always happen unexpectedly that shakes the foundation of those plans. I experienced this several years ago while working part time between jobs, and I will never forget what it was like living on a very tight budget. I was very worried about my finances and my future, and I was also angry and bitter about being in this situation. I felt that, given my level of education, a master's and a PhD, what I was going through was grossly unfair. During this time, my pastor encouraged me to build on my faith in God and to trust Him to open the doors I needed, but I pushed back a lot because of my intense dissatisfaction. Yet I had to learn from this difficulty that God is my Source, and a job is my resource. Honestly, I am still gaining a greater understanding of this divine truth, as I am blessed to be teaching at a university level, a position I truly enjoy. I know that I must, as Philippians 4:19 promises, continue to have confidence that God will take care of me no matter what I face.

Seeing government workers standing in line for food is a stark reminder that nothing is guaranteed in this life. I know that many of them are asking why they are encountering trouble now. I pray that, in their moments of despair and even fear, they will place their trust in the One who can supply in times of lack and restore in times of loss.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Andy Feliciotti at Unsplash