Blessings in Change

Monday, August 16 was a big day for our family.  Three of the kids went off to school for another year of learning, friends, activities, and excitement.  Mom started a brand new full-time job.  It's a big, big, big change from being at home for 8 years and I was more nervous than my kiddos.

I teared-up at the bus stop, had an emotional breakdown at work on Tuesday, and heard my 10 year old son raise his fist and say "Curse your new job!", on Wednesday, as he talked about the fact that I wasn't really home at all since starting the new job.  By Friday, I was exhausted (partly because I had been up all night Thursday on a road-trip that had been planned for months with my girlfriends and partly because I had really only been home for about 5 hours that week, with my kids).  I missed talking to my husband about his day, telling him about mine, listening to the kids share their stories and I was sad that I'd missed the whole first week of school.  I was determined to spend the weekend, at home, with my family.

So, here's where I recognize the blessings of the week...

First blessing: my new boss, Mrs. Anne Duncan. Anne is the Executive Director of CASA of Sedgwick County and is a Christian woman.  I believe that God put me in this position so that I could freely share my faith at work, impact the lives of children and families, and make a difference in my county.  Its great to hear your boss say "pray about it" over a work-related issue.  Its comforting to hear your boss honor your family.  Its a testament to God's grace in her life that she can offer grace when a new employee is struggling to make that adjustment.  Anne has proven to be a compassionate woman who understands the transition I'm experiencing.  She's told me nearly every day how "glad" she is that I am with the agency.  She trusts me and I trust her. That's HUGE!!!  I am praying that we can make a very big difference in the lives of our CASA volunteers, the children and families that our agency serves, and in our county's child welfare system. As I start a new adventure, and that journey can be a little scary, I have to admit that being involved with this cause feels very right!  Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  I believe that He will help transition me from stay at home momma to working momma as smoothly as possible and that He will help me maintain my balance. 

(To learn more about the mission of CASA, visit www.casaofsedgwickcounty.org and watch our video!)

Second Blessing: the comfort that this will allow my family.  For the past 8 years, our family has really struggled financially. It has been only through God's provision that we've made it on one income. I praise Him for that completely, even when we've lost everything and spent many sleepless nights worrying about our needs.  It was hard to borrow money when we had to and even harder to admit when we'd made poor decisions. Matthew 6:25 tells us "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"  I have clung onto this verse more times than I can count over the years and now God has provided me with an opportunity to help my family's financial situation, relieving a great deal of the burden on my husband and enough flexibility that I can still fulfill my role as wife and mother!

Third Blessing: a great friend to care for my preschooler.  Finding daycare I trusted was always a big reason why I chose to stay at home. I just couldn't leave my children with anyone and God knew that I needed a daycare provider that would love my children enough to care for them as I would.  We found this sort of daycare provider for Shawn, when he was an infant/toddler, in a family friend of my husband's. How comforting it was to leave my newborn baby with someone that my husband's family had grown to know over 25 years.  Now, we have my good friend, Jackie Arndt, to take care of our youngest little angel.  (Well, we call her "Angel" and, on days, she lives up to that). Jackie is patient and understanding and kind to my daughter. She loves my daughter and gives her a safe place to play during the day.   I've grown to cherish not only her care over my child but also the friendship that Jackie and I have come to share.  She is a fantastic woman and I'm glad that I can go to work and fulfill my duties there without having to worry about Sarah at all!! To top it off, because I know that Jackie is also a Christian, I can trust that Deuteronomy 6:7 will be fulfilled and my daughter will receive a Christlike influence in her time with Mrs. Jackie, as she would at home.  "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  What a comfort that provides! Thank you Jackie!!

Finally, I have always believed that the experiences of my childhood occurred so that I could be a testimony to God's faithfulness and protection and devotion. I have never believed that my life has turned out the way that it has for my glory, but for the Father's and His alone!  1 Corinthians 4-6 says "I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you."  My new position is giving me the opportunity to design a program geared for older youth in care, who are very likely going to "age-out" and be on their own. I believe that I can really impact the lives of many young people.  I can use my story as a testimony to God's grace and reliability. I can be an example of "making lemonade out of lemons" and I can give God the glory over and over again! 

So, I am excited to enter this second week of the new chapter in the life of my family.  I am excited to see my kids off to school - to watch them grown in knowledge and excitement is exciting. I am excited to see what positive things can happen in my work with CASA.  I'm excited to continue to grow in friendship with other Christ-loving women and I'm excited to see where God will lead!  (Oh, and I'm very excited that my work-days will be so much shorter this week and I'll get to see my family in the evenings!!!) 

Thank you, Lord, for the many opportunities in front of me! I pray that I will exceed the expectations of the Proverbs 31 woman and that my family will feel the blessings of my efforts. I pray that I will be a positive testimony to You and to Your undying love for us.  I pray that you will receive the Glory in my home and in my work.  In Jesus' name, Amen.