After two-and-a-half months at a very difficult job, I had resigned. I had no real sense of what God was doing, only that He had clearly led me to take that step. My wonderful husband had been 100% supportive. He has had his own struggles in his studies at the University. Taking this trip to Roswell (about three hours southeast of our home in Albuquerque) was a needed respite. We had a blast that first day, making fun stops, enjoying beautiful scenery, eating good food, and seeing interesting things.
That night in our hotel room, we had poured our hearts out to the Lord about our situation. What did He have in store for us? What was His plan? What would He have us do next? Those were the nagging questions. We prayed for quite a while. "Lord," I closed, "Please give us something to hold onto. Give us a glimpse into what You're doing." I got this prayer from a Bible study leader I had in Riverside some years ago. Immediately, the Lord gave us two scriptures. The first one was Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all thy need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." The second related me to the struggles we'd faced with work and school. Second Corinthians 4:17 "For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Encouraged, we turned out the light and went to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up earlier than Walter, and I took a little trip to the department store. My main motive was that they had a blood pressure machine, and I wanted to check mine. As someone who donates plasma, my vital signs are checked twice weekly. I'm aware of what is average for me. Over the previous few days, my blood pressure had been uncharacteristically high. I knew this was due to stress, but I wanted to see if it had gone down at all. While I was in the store, as I said, the Christmas spirit was everywhere. Customers seemed jolly. Sales associates beamed for pure joy. I wanted to feel the same way, but the weight of the stress pulled me downward. I went into an abandoned aisle. The shelves were filled with Christmas Snoopy's. This was too much for me, and I began to cry. My confidence had taken a real beating at that job, and I felt almost dizzy. I knew I would not be permanently scarred by it, but I needed time to heal up. What were we supposed to do? Had we misheard God? "What should we do, God?" I asked softly.
My phone beeped then. Pulling it out, I saw that I had gotten an email. It was from the principal of our church's Christian school. She shared that a need had arisen at the school, and was I interested in a 5th grade teaching position?
It was as if God were answering me right then and there...and answering our prayer from the night before. I responded that I was interested. She replied and asked me to come in for an interview Monday...that brings me to today.
I had a very positive interview. I pretty much have the job. I am to come in on Thursday and teach a lesson to the class, just to see how I do. I believe I will be hired. From there, I will be able to observe the outgoing teacher on Thursday and Friday. That school gets all of Thanksgiving week off. I will have the opportunity to go over the curriculum and prepare. My first day will be the Monday following Thanksgiving. Financially, I will be taking home about the same amount I was with my job at the university preschool. The salary is less, but it's not paying a retirement fund or insurance, so my check will be about the same amount.
This type of job is largely a dream come true for me. I have worked in ministry as well as secular jobs, all with children, and all in some form of teaching. God can use all of it. I have had a deep desire to work in Christian education for many years, and believe this is His leading.
Please continue to pray for us as we move forward. Pray for my husband's studies and relationship with the university. Pray for me to heal up from the difficult job I just finished, and to succeed at this new job. Thanks so much!
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