Be ready to be blessed by Part II of Sherri's testimony!
Walk in Faith,
Leeanne
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We prayed for wisdom to know undeniable peace, and wisdom to discern good from God’s best. We
prayed that the Lord would clearly open doors and then we would be faithful to
walk through them, whatever they are. My husband’s accountability
partner said too him, “why don’t you go back to school and get another degree.”
What? That same week my old boss was moving and the new person called me to
interview for the same position, except he was looking for someone part time.
“Part time”, I said. You mean I could work and also pick my
kids up from school? It was perfect and the Lord had provided. Just as a side
note, this was a position I had worked at ten yeasr earlier and I had kept my
small retirement account there open. Never thinking I would ever work there
again, but the Lord knew, didn’t He? Meanwhile my husband applied for schoo,l got
in, got his old transcripts, things transferred over, classes were open, school
grants were given, everything happened
so smoothly and quickly. We were amazed. This was how the Lord worked and He
alone opened these doors. So my husband started school and I started work, and our
lifestyle changed drastically. For the first time ever, my husband was home in
the mornings, got the kids ready for school, many times brought them to school,
picked them up, helped with homework, we were a team and it was wonderful. For
the past ten years, he had always been out the door on the morning at 5:15 to
head to the kitchen. Now, having him around and invested in this way was life
changing. He started attending a Tuesday Morning Men’s breakfast, and it was life
changing. It challenged in him in many ways, he loved it so much he started
bringing our son and they bonded. I watched their relationship grow and
transform from father and son to two brothers in Christ. Then he started
bringing both our boys. You talk about a blessing, there are no words to
adequately explain the blessing of having your children and husband start their
week with a men’s breakfast and accountability and bible study. I watched the
Lord at work in their lives and I watched my boys relationships with men at our
church transform them. They learned to serve and learned to speak up in front
of others, they learned to speak with adults and find scripture to shape their
thoughts, it was life changing.
As a result of going back to work, comes the blessing of the
people I work with. The Lord put into my life an amazing boss and his sweet
family and a remarkable coworker. This coworker
loves the Lord and openly shared her family and experiences with me. We’ve
laughed so hard we’ve cried, we’ve finished each other’s sentences, she’s
challenged me to think more openly, that life isn’t always black and white. I
sometimes have “gray troubles”. She has
given my family vacations, her husband has been a wonderful friend too my
husband. I have watched her children arise and call her blessed and seen what
that actually looks like. There are too many stories to share how rich my life
is because of her.
All of these blessings came because my husband lost his job.
These are blessings worth more than rubies and diamonds. Our family and friends have challenged us,
and loved us deeply with gifts, vacations, time and encouragement and most of
all prayer. Truth be told, I would much rather give than receive but we had to
receive. We had to say, “thank you, this means more than you know and I cannot
repay you, literally I cannot repay you.” And I learned that these people God
put in our lives wanted to love us that deeply, they wanted to give too us and
I was robbing them of a blessing if I received these gifts poorly. I learned to
receive these gifts well and to share openly about what the Lord was doing in
our life and our marriage. That means sharing personal things, oh I tell you
what, I did NOT like doing that. But I shared, later rather than sooner, but no
worries, the Lord and dear friends didn’t give up on me.
So now finally, two years after my husband started school he
is on the last leg. Our journey however is not. His graduation is coming soon.
He has only one class left so last Fall he started interviewing for positions
in his new field of work, positions that people told him would be plentiful.
The positions are not there. Should we now in this darkness, darkness of him
finally finishing school, studying his
nights away and now finding that there are no jobs available, stop trusting the
Lord? No, it is now in this darkness that we trust even more that His ways are
much better and higher than ours. It’s easier to trust in the light, you can
see pretty well but in the darkness we’ve learned to reflect on His goodness, remember
His faithfulness and look with expectation and what HE has already prepared in
advance for us.
The interviews dwindled and there was nothing in this new
field that my husband had been preparing for. Then his old boss, from the
kitchen, calls. They talk and catch up. I hear my husband pray, “Lord I am
excited about what you have in store for me, even if it means I’m back in the
kitchen.” Those were precious words to hear. I’ve been able to watch my great and wonderful
Savior transform my husband and draw him closer to Himself, having a front seat
to that is indeed the best place to be.
Are you wondering about the bank account? Well almost three
years later from when this journey started, my husband is back in the kitchen.
The bank account was brought down to almost nothing. The Lord really stretched
me in that way. But during this time we had to purchase a new vehicle. The Lord
provided. He was not going to allow me to place my trust in that $ amount, I
had to learn and continue to learn that He provides in ways I cannot imagine. Ways like some precious girlfriends bringing
over BAGS of amazing clothes one night just for fun (when I had said to myself earlier
that week, no I will not spend $3.89 at the thrift store).
My husband took this job, only about one month after a Godly
accountability partner said to me, ” I
am going to pray that he is in his job and well-adjusted by the end of winter”
! He started the last day of February. We are tremendously thankful for this
journey. The Lord has given my husband and sons so many sweet moments of
memorable time together that they will probably never have again. I often said
to my husband, “other than this whole no-paycheck thing, I really LOVE our
lifestyle of you being home.” The
journey continues and we have received blessings from His hand that we couldn’t
have imagined. The verse in John about Him wanting us to live life abundantly
has struck home as He is a lavish God who genuinely wants us to feel the joy
that He alone can give. Thank you for allowing me to share my journey.
With Joy,
Sherri ~ 919-802-2962 http://GreenFlash-Productions.com
GreenFlash Productions Photography - is your photo session
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