A New Path

Life changes. 
Sometimes far too quickly.  Sometimes far too slowly.

These last three years have been difficult.  Maritally, personally, spiritually.

The Lord has grown both Jake and I separately and together.  One of the biggest things He has grown us in, me especially, has been our contentedness with the here and now.

I'm the "when-then" girl.  As in, "When this happens, then I'll be happy."

The Lord brought me to a place that revealed just how arrogant and entitled that was.  Paul gives me great hope when he writes that he has learned to be content...

I have learned to be content with the here and now.

And right when I start settling into my here and now, the Lord turns it topsy turvy.

Two months ago, Jake was sought out for a job.  A job we rejected because it was so far-fetched and he had a family... (can you hear my self-righteousness?).

But the Lord, in all his powerful ways, wouldn't let us reject it.  For three days, he hammered away at our hearts asking us to trust him. 

Let me be honest - I lack faith.  Abundantly so.  One of my constant prayers is that I would live by faith and not by sight.  This job offer was an opportunity to do that.

So we submitted the resume, knowing it did not tie us to anything.
All of a sudden, things took off.  We had to submit all sorts of information and forms for him to gain a security clearance. His resume was rolled up to the next level.  The whole time, we thought, "surely not."

"Surely so," said God. 

And here we are.

On Monday afternoon, we got word Jake had been chosen.  We had to give them an answer by Tuesday morning.  Instead of the 3-4 week window of time we were told we would have to prepare, we have been given one week.

And here we are.

On Wednesday my husband will leave for training for three weeks in Michigan.  After that he leaves for the National Deployment Center and just a couple of days after that he will be shipped to Afghanistan.

Did I mention the boys and I are not going with him?
Did I mention this is for a year?
Did I mention he'll be on a military base doing contract work for the military?

I can tell you the myriad of reasons we had for saying no.  I can tell you the myriad of voices we had telling us no.

The funny thing is when the Lord calls you, you answer.  No matter the difficulty.  No matter the pain.  No matter the fear.

I trust Him, this One who has allowed this.  And I'm praying hard that I would walk in joy, glorifying Him in this difficult season.

Both Jake and I are extremely grateful He has given us this opportunity.  It has been 3 long years of praying, of working, of having doors closed and feeling we are at a dead end.


But in all that, Christ called us to live by faith, not by sight.  To learn to be content with the here and now.