Our story starts at the beginning of 2009. I felt like it was time for me to head back to the classroom and began to look for a teaching job. I filled out applications and waited…and waited…and waited a little longer. Spring Break came and nothing. School ended and more nothing. It was so frustrating. I continued to pray that God would lead me where I needed to me. My heart was longing to be back in the classroom, but I began to wonder if that was the plan. So I kept praying that God would either give me a teaching job, or change my heart. I prayed that I would be open to his plan, even if it meant that teaching wasn’t part of it.
By mid-June, I was totally frustrated. The one teaching job that I had a decent lead on disappeared, and I began to wonder if I was ever going to settle into professional life in Austin. Maybe God had something completely different in mind. I prayed for peace and acceptance, but the thought of not teaching was heartbreaking.
Around Father’s Day weekend, Keith and I were discussing our situation when he told me to look for a job in the Southeast. Since I couldn’t seem to find a teaching job in Austin and the desire of our hearts was to eventually live closer to family again, he told me go ahead and start looking. If I found a job in the Southeast, he would leave his job and we would try to make a life closer to home. Keep in mind that Keith leaving his job without having another one sounds NOTHING like ANYTHING my husband would ever do. I began to look a little, but honestly didn’t think Keith was serious.
About the same time, I began cleaning….that crazy, hopelessly obsessed type of cleaning. In my heart, something kept telling me to get the house ready because we were about to move. I cleaned like a crazy lady…I even had my little guys scrubbing the walls. I touch-up painted and did all sorts of things that make no sense to anyone outside the 8th month of pregnancy. And in my non-cleaning free time, I looked for a job.
More nothing.
I talked to school after school and contact after contact. A week went by and prospects looked bleak. I began to wonder why God would give me hope that I would once again be near family, only to let nothing come of it in the end. I listened and read and prayed and tried my best to trust that God is so much bigger than I imagine. I prayed that His will would be done and that I would be accepting, no matter what that meant. I couldn’t sleep at night, so I spent tons of time awake, reading Esther and trying to trust God for my destiny. The Lord, Beth Moore and I spent many early morning hours together.
I emailed a principal in Birmingham about an available job near where we used to live. It was a great school and would have been a great opportunity. When I heard back from the principal, I learned that he was a actually former colleague. He told me that he would be happy to interview me and put in a good word for me, if needed, since my Alabama Teacher Certification had expired. I thought, “This sounds promising. This is how it will all work out.” But then, two weeks went by and I had not heard anything. When I finally contacted him, he had already filled the position. Ugh! Back to square one…
Keith and I had made a deal that I would quit looking out-of-state if I had not found a job by July 10th. Realistically, we felt like that was as late as we could go and still be able to make the transition from Texas to the Southeast.
July 10th came and went with no job. So I called off the dogs and resigned myself to at least another year in Texas. My parents were coming to Austin the next day, so I distracted myself with the preparations. Determined to enjoy my week with them, I tried not to think about it. That Monday, my parents offered to watch the kids so Keith and I could go out to dinner. We don’t get to do that very often, so we took them up on it.
Right before we walked out the door that night, I checked the answering machine. There was a message from Irondale Middle School in Jefferson County, AL. I used to teach at Shades Valley High School in Irondale, so I was familiar with the area. The school secretary had called to see if I would be interested in interviewing for a social studies position there.
I was completely floored! First of all, it was past the deadline. Hello, God…we told you that you had to do this last week! Secondly, I was pretty sure that our dinner date was shot! Keith and I did go out that night and spent the entire evening debating about what to do. Should I take the interview knowing that we would be pushing it? Who would watch the kids? How would we pay for the trip? What if it doesn’t work out? What if it DOES? YIKES!
At the end of a VERY long night, we decided that I would talk to some friends and find out what I could about the school. If it seemed like somewhere I would want to work, I would go.
The next morning, I called Jane Baker, the principal at Shades Valley. She was the Assistant Principal when I was a Social Studies teacher there. She informed me that Irondale Middle School was a brand new school right next door to Shades Valley! After sharing a few more details about the school, she said she would call and put in a good word for me, and also ask if I could interview over the phone.
Long story short, I did the interview over the phone three days later. They offered me the job on Thursday, July 16th. Keith took a HUGE leap of faith and told me to accept the job, not knowing what that meant for his future at his job. Now I was sleeping and he was awake!
The next morning, he told his company about my new job and they agreed to let him continue his current position from the Birmingham office. By the end of that day, I had found a great school for Sam, a great school for Stephen and an apartment. I had also already met with our real estate agent concerning the sale of our home.
By the end of the next day, we had movers in Austin and Birmingham, as well as a moving truck.
Our sweet friend Belinda, showed up two days later to help me get the house ready. We packed and painted…truthfully, she packed and painted while I worked the phone. I spent hours and hours lining up the details.
Sunday, July 26th, I flew the boys to Birmingham to spend a week with my parents while we packed up the house. They spent one week with my parents and one week with Keith's parents while we made the transition. For me and the boys, being apart was by far the most difficult part of the move.
Thursday, July 30th, Keith and I left Austin with a 26 foot truck full of all of our stuff (except for the leftovers that didn't make it on the truck). Keith had his first "trucker" experience while I followed him in my car. We arrived in Birmingham late that evening, exactly two weeks after I got the job. Keith flew back to Austin on Sunday to take care of selling the house. When he left, we had no idea how long we would be apart. Again, being apart was still the most difficult part of the move. I kept praying that the house would sell quickly...that God would honor our marriage and our desire to be together.
Monday, August 3rd: I started New Teacher Orientation. I spent the first week working during the day and unpacking boxes at night. I was determined to have the apartment completely set up by the time I brought the boys home from Franklin. That happened on Saturday, August 8th.
Thursday, August 6th: Our house went on the market in Austin.
Monday, August 10th: The boys started school. Stephen is attending preschool down the street. Sam spent the first few days there until Kindergarten started.
Thursday, August 13th: Sam started Kindergarten. He did great!
Friday, August 14th: Our house was under contract. Praise God that He is bigger than a weak economy!
Today, it is Saturday, August 29th. I am sitting here in our new apartment amazed at God's love for me. He promises that if we trust in him, he will give us the desires of our hearts. I never prayed to be in Birmingham, even though it has been "home" to me since college. I prayed to be closer to family. Yet here I am, back in my"home." Close to my family and my church family. Even better, my husband is on his way here right now. Our house is under contract and moving toward closing. So Keith is in his car right now, on his way to us. Praise God for bringing my family to the same place!
Here's the thing...From my time in Austin, I learned to trust God's will. I want to be where He wants me to be, even when it feels so foreign to what I would want. He is faithful. And He does lead us. My family needed to be in Austin. God did a mighty work in our lives there. We are grateful.
But we are also grateful to be here for as long as the Lord sees fit to leave us here. Now I know that if we are blessed to he here, it is not so I can be "happy." I praise him for giving me the desire of my heart. I praise him for the opportunity to minister to kids again. But that's not why I am here. I am here because He has plans for me here. He has plans for my family here. We are to bring glory to God here. For this season of life, He has called us here. And we will trust Him and we will do our best to honor him.
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all.
And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all.
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all.
- John Mark McMillan
3 comments:
Welcome home!
Thanks, David! What are you up to these days?
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