A Day to Remember

Yesterday will go down as a day to remember.

A year ago we were in hot water.  Work was not coming in as it had in the past.  We were at an impass with his controls business because we needed more money to continue the development.  We were at a real loss as to what to do.  RM was starting to question himself and the demon of depression was knocking at our door.

We were always being prayed for and we were praying for ourselves as well, but it was a dark time nevertheless.  That summer was when I started a serious 40 day fast where I ate, but significantly less.  I was praying for direction for my husband.  I didn't know how to help him anymore.  We knew he probably should get a "real" job, but where and how would we ever get a job that wouldn't impact the family too much?  On day one of the fast it was suggested we apply at the local college.  That same day I came home to tell RM what my friend had suggested and he, not knowing of our conversation, had already applied, with only a few hours left in the application deadline, to a job that was perfectly suited to him and his skills.

He got the dream job and has loved it!  We hated seeing him gone, but we knew it was a gift.  He was out of the house for 3 days of the week.  That was perfect.  It gave him 2 days at home to manage the farm and work on other projects.  Initially, it was only going to be an 8 month contract.  God seems to only give us enough light for the step we're on.  It didn't matter - we took it!  As the 8 months were coming to a close, the college found out what I've known all along - he's got a vast amount of talent, knowledge and expertise.  They didn't want to lose him.

Then, another department noticed him and wanted to grab his know-how as well.  So they tried to steal him and bring him into the teaching faculty.  As of yesterday, it's official - he'll now be working in both departments.  He'll have full-time hours in his dream research job and then will be teaching two courses in the industrial automation department.  We can't believe it.  In one day he got two jobs. Full-time and part-time!  This could mean future benefits for dental, etc. which we haven't had in 12 years.  Not only that, but the college is very close the the university where my son will be attending. We didn't know that when we first applied for the job.  We didn't know our son would be accepted into the local university.  But God did.  He had all things perfectly arranged before we even knew we would need them arranged!  Now, in the Fall, my husband and son will drive to school together, every morning and every evening.  They'll be together all the time, talking, debriefing....forced time that only God could put in their busy schedules.  I'm in awe.

But the day didn't end there.  We also got paid for the towers.  The tower contract came only a few weeks after he got the college job.  He somehow managed to work at the college and build towers through the whole winter, which tells me he's used to working full-time and part-time already!   Because of all his hard work today we'll be able to put a huge chunk of the mortgage away and be completely "debt-free" except for the remaining part of the mortgage which is slowly disappearing.  It should be faster now with regular work!  During the time of no work, paying down any kind of debt seemed impossible.  Now, by Dave Ramsey's standards, I could have called in and said, "We're debt- free!"  We aren't quite, but so close.

On top of all this, we are still quite hopeful that he could still get work from his own personal engineering business, no guarantees of course, but we're hoping.  If that happens then we'll be well on our way to being completely mortgage-free.

I've written about miracles before, but this is huge! We had to stop and just thank God for His goodness last night.  We know it's nothing we've done, only His blessings being poured out on us. We were definitely in a time of testing.  I didn't love it.  I struggled on and off all the way through it.  I'm not sure if I was the greatest example as we endured the unknown path ahead of us.  I complained, I cried out.  I wanted freedom when I wanted freedom, not when he planned it for me...or if he planned it for me.

Malachi 3 says, "And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."  That is what has happened.  He has opened the windows of heaven for us.  Yesterday, it literally poured and poured buckets of water.  It looked like Niagara Falls as our pond overflowed and started down the hill in a waterfall.  Earlier on in the morning I had read the kids the verse that described some quarreling wives as dripping rain.  Two very different images came to our minds last night - the negative image of rain when it is associated with a nasty wife and then the other image is the pouring from heaven of blessings.  As the rain pounded down outside, we felt like it was a sign from God, "See?  I'm going to pour my blessings down on you, just like this rain."  As the rain fell, we sat there and we literally counted our blessings: the two jobs in one day, the tower money - giving us the ability to pay down almost all the debt.....it had poured that day!!!

Interestingly, I also had read the story of Joseph yesterday to the kids.  We literally read the part where Joseph in prison, but was at first forgotten by the butler and then two years later remembered by him when Pharoah had his strange dreams.  Joseph was taken out of his prison that he had been in for so long. Joseph never knew how long he was supposed to be there.  He never knew why he was there in the first place because it hadn't been his fault he was thrown in jail!  Yet, while he was there, he thrived. He became top-prisoner!  He made the best of the worst situation.  I look back, did I?  I know I had my dark times.  Yet, I remember all the lessons along the way and I remember starting to love prison. I'm not completely out, but I am climbing towards the light...so close I can almost feel it.

God directed us to the those Scriptures yesterday without me even planning it.  Of all the Scriptures! Of all the times!  It's amazing!

Today, we will worship as a family like we've never done before, thanking God for His tremendous blessings to us.  I look outside and, no exaggeration, the fog is lifting and the sun is rising, trying to make its way through the clouds....