Have you ever had an epiphany moment where you can look back on the past and laugh, even though there's nothing really all that funny about the challenge or situation you are reflecting on. Maybe it was even painful. No one has to convince me that God has a great sense of humour. The path that Mike and I have been on since meeting (4 years ago!!) has come full circle. If we only would have...
I could fill in that blank so many ways. If we only would have prayed about where God wanted us to be instead of making an impulse decision (that I would move to Texas, instead of he to Canada) is the specific "if only" I will be referring to in this evenings post.
I will be the first to admit that, after meeting a Southern gentleman who had swept me off my feet, I was the first to agree that I should be the one to move. Spend 26 years of your life freezing every winter and hiding away because it is too cold to do anything else (a.k.a hibernating), and tell me you wouldn't be thinking that +20C all winter sounds really good! What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that Mike's work at the time included a 100% travel and living on the road. I wasn't ready to jump into a travel trailer to join him, so we tried to change the situation. It worked for awhile. Then everything started to implode. I was spiritually immature at the time and didn't realize that (a) God has equipped Mike with the gift of giving. If you know him, he is a generous man, (b) the work Mike was doing was providing his with the type of income that allowed him to be very generous. Again, being immature we didn't realize that for what it was and we tried to change it. We simply weren't living the life that God has designed for us.
Fast forward to current day. We have been without income for 1.5 years. I don't know many people who could make it 1.5 months without their world imploding upon them. God has sustained us for 1.5 years. It's so amazing! Why us, when so many crash and burn? I don't know exactly yet, but I'm excited to find out! Our marriage has been stretched in ways you can't imagine. Our children haven't known the same "home" for more than 5 months at a time. It has been stressful. Thankfully the Lord has seen fit to give us another chance.
Almost to the day, 3 years after Mike and I were married and two beautiful children later, opportunity has come knocking on the door again. The exact same opportunity that He provided before. The chance to pick up exactly where Mike left off with a previous employer before has presented itself. These things don't just "happen". So many nights we have held each other close and cried our repentance out to the Lord. He has heard us, granted His grace and forgiveness upon us and we have received the second chance that we have longed for. Praise you Father! You are so faithful!
Mike will be re-joining GE Wind Energy, constructing wind turbines all over the continental US, starting in Idaho next week. I know that our excitement over this job may confuse some of you, but for us the pros definitely outweigh the cons! For starters, Mike loves this job. It makes him very happy and that makes me ecstatic. I am sorry for trying to change this about him in the first place. Forgive me baby?
This position will allow Mike to provide for his family, which he has desperately wanted to do since day 1. I know that being laid off can be somewhat emasculating to a man because that is how God designed men. To provide. To hunt. To kill. To protect. And when they try every way to do that and still "fail" by the worlds standards, it hurts. I am so proud of Mike for hanging in there and never giving up!!
Not only will the job provide for our needs, but it will provide in Abundance. This will allow us to freely give of our time and resources to those who need it in the Kingdom. We are so excited about this! The Lord has brought a few worthy causes to mind, but I will wait to blog about those specifically at a later date!
I can hear you asking as you read this..."But doesn't that mean you will be living apart?" Sadly the answer is yes. This will not be easy, on our marriage or our family, but we are willing to sacrifice in the short term for the long term gain. We have lost ground to make up for and we are ready to take it by storm!
Where will we live? Hmmmm, that is a good question. I am trusting my Father in Heaven to provide that for us. In his perfect timing I will have an answer to that question. I am praying somewhere close to my parents and brother, but time will tell. How long will we live this way? Same answer as the last question... I am trusting God with that. My only concern right now is getting my man off to work safe and sound.
I want to make one thing absolutely crystal clear. I do not regret one minute of what we have been through in the last 3 years. It has been hard, we have struggled, and we have endured more than most couples will have to in 25 years of marriage. But we have been blessed with abundant love. Love from perfect strangers, our friends, our family and our Lord and Savior. There are people we never would have met had we not taken the long, winding road. Lord I am so grateful for the journey.
Thank you for granting us this new beginning. Thank you for bringing us full circle.
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