The short(er...now long) version....part thrice

[*Catch up on part uno here and deux here.]


It's interesting how typing all this out is effecting me. For a lot of today I have felt jittery, nervous and kind of stressed. Just thinking about it all is taking a toll I didn't expect, but one of the main reasons I wanted to write it all out is so I won't forget. I want to set up a huge Ebeneezer marking where God has provided so that I won't be like the Israelites and quickly forget what He's done.

Ok, here's the rest of the story...... aren't you glad you've tuned in for 7 bagillion pages about my life? :)


In the midst of all this craziness I had this overwhelming sense of dread about returning to teaching. In fact, I felt it all through the school year, but it was even more intense during the summer. I wanted to be home with the boys. Plain and Simple. It was a ludicrous thought in the middle of financial turmoil, but did that stop me from telling (begging) Josh to let me quit?

Nope.


And I didn't really have to convince him. We've ALWAYS wanted for me to be home for lots of reasons. It was just a money thing. So, one day I get an email from my semi-new boss saying that he wanted to make some changes to my job description. It wasn't an outlandish request, but it was something I REALLY didn't feel comfortable doing. We sent emails back and forth, back and forth, negotiating. We had a meeting. I agreed to it, but my moral was at an all time low. I did NOT want to go back.


Then there was a scheduling conflict that, again, wasn't a huge deal but it would make for a longer day and really interfere with nap times for my boys, making an already difficult routine harder on them, blah, blah. I was told to "just make it work."


I was ready to throw down the gauntlet.


I prayed and prayed that God would either change my heart, my boss' heart or give me a way out. This went on for weeks. Dread, dread, dread.


Providentially, a couple in our community group had a little boy in April and they needed childcare. He (Nate) is the cutest, yummiest little thing and so one night, before I had even really thought about it, I just threw out there that they should let me keep him.


She called me later and said that was the first moment of peace she's had about his care, and asked if I would be willing to keep him on the days I didn't work.


Now, stay with me....while THIS was going on another thing was falling COMPLETELY unexpectedly in my lap. I got an idea off of Etsy.com and started making fabric flower necklaces. It was easy enough, I kinda thought it was cute and so on July 24th I decided to open up a little shop there and see what happened. Happy Little Lovelies was born. On day 4 I had my first sale....and it kept going. People were buying the stuff I was making!


Josh and I projected some numbers, figured out we could save $400 a month if he dropped me off of his insurance and I got my own policy, and with keeping Nate and my Etsy shop....we could make it! I could quit! I have never been happier to send an email in all my life. Not that it was a bad job. It was a great job. But now I was validated in what I really believed the Lord had been speaking to me all summer.


Driving away from Isaiah's birthday party in August, the transmission in the van went out completely. My mom let us drive her car until last Sunday (3 months!) when we finally drove the van with a new transmission in it! My dad had taken it to a guy in SC who did it all in one day. Then my dad cleaned it top to bottom, filled it up with gas and changed the oil for us. I know! AND - knock on wood - the new transmission has seemingly fixed a few of the other problems it was having.


It cost us a chunk and we are still reeling from the summer financially, but God continues to amaze us.


The sermon our pastor preached Sunday was about God taking us out to the desert....to love us. How He causes us to be dragged out there by our circumstances and other things because it is more loving to us than if He hadn't. This sermon was like water in the desert. It was a remarkable encouragement to me. Later in the afternoon some precious, precious people to us unexpectedly gave us an envelope of cash that made both Josh and I cry. Gosh, I cry just typing that. He is good.


We are still struggling, but a main reason I wanted to return to this little blog was so that I could report what the Lord has done for us. Now, a little over 3 months later, I look back at that Psalm and truly proclaim:

"Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.....

Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.

For You, O God, have tested us;
You have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
You laid a crushing burden on our backs;
You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance."

Amen.