Last Blog Post: Patience and Trust

12 years ago I was sitting around our apartment in Calvin seminary housing dividing my time between reading newspaper articles about the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and talking to friends on AOL Instant Messenger.  I was 9+ months pregnant and barely sleeping more than a few hours a night.  My job officially ended Labor Day weekend and my husband began his last rigorous year of seminary.  He also was in the process of looking for a part time job allowing us some sort of income that final year.  Because I was pregnant with our first, I did not have any other kids to care for.  So I found myself in this constant state of "waiting."  I woke in the morning thinking, "Maybe I will go into labor today."  Then the sun would set and I would try to fall asleep to the eleven 'o clock news...only to wake up and enter into another day trapped in a holding pattern.

This was the baby God blessed us with in mid September.  She turned twelve years old two weeks ago.  Once we brought her home, my life became a day to day process of figuring out how to be a mom.  Thankfully she was an easy baby that settled into a routine quickly.  We had my sister's family, Rob's brother's family, and my grandma all within a mile from our apartment plus our previous church home in Muskegon reached out to us as well.

Now twelve years later I recently found myself in another holding pattern.  NOT pregnant.  Don't start any rumors.  But starting my new job was a process.   The kids started school the first week of September.  Rob began work the following week.  I was home simply waiting it out...wondering when I would get a phone call about when I start my job.  I was already hired.  The details such as hours, location, co-workers, responsibilities were on hold.  On Thursday, September 14th the phone rang in the afternoon and my supervisor asked if I was interested in a teacher assistant job and I could do practicum hours in the same classroom.  She asked when I could start and I said, "Now!"  The next morning was my first day of work.  I did not take any selfies or put anything on Facebook because I was nervous, excited, joyful, and grieving the summer. Plus I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing.  I had no idea what hours I was supposed to work.  I simply showed up.  

 There are of course anxieties about starting anything new.  Added to that, I have not had a job outside the home since 2005.  I knew the day would come when I would leave the home and spend my daytime hours at some kind of job.  Honestly there were times I thought it would be long before 2017.  Now that I have put in two weeks, I see how God orchestrated everything from my schedule, location, co-teachers, and opportunities.  While I miss seeing some of my clients, I don't regret closing my day care.  I know I am where God wants to be me.

I still miss the summer, but I am finally immersed in fall mode.  For awhile seeing pumpkins or Halloween costumes or apples made me depressed. I feel like God put me through a mini character boot camp during this time. God taught me about lessons patience and trust.  I had to be patient about my job.  I also lead our middle school youth group and I still did not have a leadership team as of the first day of school.  I had to trust He would provide me with leaders.  Last week I got a very nasty GI bug and was quite sick for two days.  I had to trust God that my credibility would not go down the tubes calling in sick on my eighth day of work.  I had to trust God to heal my body and give me my strength back.  

This past week the oldest climbed Mount Saint Helens with her school.  Whereas at one time I hoped to go, I knew it would not be possible with my new job beginning.  I had to trust she would be safe and healthy...and not get catch the GI bug I had (that my son had too).  If she did get hurt or sick, that God would watch over her.  And that we could get to her as soon as we could.  She made it to the summit and stayed healthy.  Aside from being overly tired, she made it home in one piece.

I am long overdue in closing the chapter on Summer 2017 and continuing into fall mode.  There are many exciting times ahead for us even though our summer is over.  Even though we are moving at a different style pace, I will always remember the summer.  For everything I learned and every place I left footprints--I am blessed.

If you want to still follow me on my running blog go to 19 Miles and Counting.  I have been doing some long distance running already this fall.