Absent: My LONG explanation

It’s been just over a month since Hubby lost his job.

Sometimes it takes years before we can look back and see the good that God brought out of a difficult situation. Other times, God gives us the gift of opening our eyes to His work in the midst of the storm. At first I would have boldly proclaimed to anyone who asked that we were solidly in the first category but over the last 2 weeks or so things have slowly changed. It’s as if the clouds of confusion have begun to part and we as a family are coming to understand what God is saying to us.

There were so many decisions that needed to be made in the next coming months. Decisions, big decisions really, that will affect all of us for years to come. We have been diligently praying for God to guide our thoughts and give us wisdom during this time.

We are attempting to choose not only a college for our oldest to attend but also his career. Since Niko was a sixth grader he has always said he wanted to be an engineer, a computer/software engineer to be exact. Every course he chose in high school has been with this career in mind. Now as he closes in on finishing the first semester of his senior year he’s had a change of heart. The more he looked into the the specifics of this career the more he realized his people-person, relational personality might not make it a suitable match. Staring at a computer screen for 14 hours a days just doesn’t sound appealing to him. Knowing him as I do, I think he may be right. There are other factors as well but for the first time in years he isn’t sure what he wants to be when he grows up. He’s been feeling a little lost, even stressed, by having to decide his future without having a clear direction from the Lord.

To add to the confusion, his college plans are greatly impacted by our decision as to where we will move this Spring. We know that this is the right time to make our move to a warmer climate. We’ve been talking, planning, and praying about the whole thing for years. I am beyond done with winters in Wisconsin. While so many enjoy this season and weather, I am one who tends to allow my hope to die right along with most of the vegetation around the area. Sadder still, I see this same trait in my oldest son. It’s time for this family to move, of this I am sure.

Now, our plans have been to move to Georgia and for Niko to attend an engineering school within that area. Kyle even talked about following in his big brother’s footsteps. Niko applied, was admitted and everything seemed to be on track regardless of us dealing with Hubby not having a job, at first that is. Something has changed though, God started speaking to our hearts a little louder than He had been. That statement is probably wrong, perhaps it was us listening to Him more intently.

Also God had a little heart-to-heart with me concerning college for Niko. Even though he no longer felt sure of what he wanted to be and do in the future, I continued to push the engineering route. “Mechanical, electrical, civil, it doesn’t matter which just get your engineering degree and life will be good,” I may have been heard saying. I just didn’t want him to experience the financial struggles that Hubby and I have had to endure over the years. “You mean you don’t want him to have to trust me like you have?” was God’s question to me. The Lord was exactly right, how foolish of me. Like a knife, His next question pierced the darkness of my heart. “And is that because I’ve let you down so many times?”

Yes, we have experienced financial struggles. Yes, ten years ago we lost our home and have had to rent ever since. Yes, we have not had any income in the last four weeks. But more importantly, we have food in the cabinets, our bills are paid up current and God has always, ALWAYS, supplied all of our needs. Jehovah Jirah, our provider, can be trusted. He has proved to us that he who trusts in the Lord will never be put to shame. Moreover, God can be trusted to use struggles to draw us into a deeper more meaningful relationship with Him if we are willing.

So with that in mind, Hubby and I made the decision to offer one more option to Niko all the while knowing it was God’s leading and not our idea. His eyes lit up and that long missing grin returned to his face when he heard that we would be willing to allow him to take one year off before attending college to complete a one-year internship at a church in Mexico. He has begun to make the necessary arrangements and if God is willing that’s exactly what he’ll be doing this next year. When he returns, we feel certain, he’ll have a better idea of how and where God would have him use the rest of his life to serve Him.

Another change has been in the direction we’ll be moving. Instead of heading to the southeast it looks like we’ll be staying in the central time zone just much further south than we currently reside. Are we absolutely sure and is this our final answer? Of course not but we do believe that God is leading us to Texas.

So there you have it, just a few of the changes that have occurred while I’ve been away from this blog. Oh and one more thing I guess I should mention… Hubby got his job back yesterday. He is already working there today and we’ve been told that it is a reinstatement not a rehire. If this is correct some of what we originally lost in the firing was never really lost at all. Who knew?

Oh yea, God did.