After coming home from Rhode Island, the next two weeks have passed pretty quickly. I've been working my retail job, even with pain in my Achilles tendons--especially by the end of the day. Jake continues to make messes in my kitchen...
...the end-of-summer spiders created their masterpieces around the outside of our house...
...and then Thomas called me. (I'm blogging this way after the fact, since we kept the following information under wraps until events actually happened.)
"Hey, Mom, you know I was hoping to find a job at a BMW dealership in Florida, right?"
"Yes..."
"Well, what do you think about Texas?"
(Um, wow. And where is this going?)
So I let go. "Thomas, I want you to go where God leads you. If that's Texas, and you go there, I'll be happy that you're following the Lord."
"Okay."
"Where in Texas?"
"Austin."
So there it was. BMW of Austin would fly him in to visit the dealership, give him a tour, and interview him. As the weekend approached, my ears perked up at the mention of Hurricane Harvey. Hmm. I Googled it, then widened my eyes, took a screen shot of the map of its patch, then texted Thomas...
"You're flying in to Austin tomorrow, right?"
"Yep, in the morning."
"What about the hurricane?"
"What hurricane??"
I texted him this:
So, he flew in that Friday morning, August 25, and Harvey moved in that afternoon. Thomas spent the entire weekend either at the dealership or in his hotel, with torrential rains. I think he said they got 17-19 inches overall!
Danny chatting with Thomas (in Austin) on the house phone. Yes, a corded phone.
Thomas flew back to Orlando on Monday to finish up the last week of the BMW STEP training program. I took the long Labor Day weekend off so I could fly down for his graduation--more money spent. Y. company was going to fly Fernando home that same weekend, for his one weekend home per month, so they worked together to fly him down to Orlando instead of Chicago. Now that our weekend was planned, I finished harvesting some things in the garden, mostly carrots. I fermented them with some of the rosemary I grew. Yum!
Strawberries came at the end of May. They are the first harvest of the garden, their bright red a promise of sweetness and delight, and with it, sweetness from the Lord in this new journey the Lord has just set before us.
The Path of Trust
Fernando received a job offer, plain and simple. He told this company, Y** (based in Rhode Island), he would give them an answer by the end of May. He was hoping to hear back from at least one of the other two companies interested in hiring him; their potential job offers would be better--pay, benefits, situation. But as each day came and went, and no phone calls were forthcoming, Fernando knew it was time to let Y** know he would accept their offer. And we prepared to set off on one more road, a path, really, of twists and turns, of not knowing, of trust.
Fernando would be training to be a field service engineer for this company, specializing in robotics and automation. With his extensive electronics background, we are hoping that this would translate into a new career path for him.
Fernando will leave in mid-June, to fly to Rhode Island for one to six months of training, including in-house, then shadowing another field service engineer, then eventually working on his own in the Midwest. At least there is that. At least there is something to look forward to. We reminded each other it could be worse--we had been contemplating an opportunity for him to work out of the country for a year (huge income, paying off all debt, starting fresh--but a year apart). The possibility of six months apart seemed more palatable than a whole year. I kept telling him that six months will fly by, and it could be less time, too, if the training goes well.
The important thing it, it's a job. It will pay the bills, at least we're hoping. It's little more than half what Fernando was making previously, so I knew I'd have to work. I knew the possibility of me having to find full-time work was very real at this point. I was hoping for one of the other jobs for him, but this seems to be where the Lord is leading. So this is where we need to go, on this new pathway of continuing to trust Him and His plan for our lives.
After all the past posts where I've excitedly shared how the Lord has worked and brought employment to us, this post seems dry, almost matter-of-fact. In a way, it is just that--can I really be excited about uncertainty, about not knowing if this would work out, and just how did all this debt and struggle fit into His plan? I don't know.
I don't know how we'll do it. I don't know how we'll live on much, much less, while paying off debt that we never had before. I come back, once again, to the overarching theme of all these posts I've written: He is faithful. I must trust. This new path, this new way, wherever it leads, is simply a new way in which to trust--yet, and still, and continuing--that He knows, that He will direct, that He is good. While I praise Him for providing, my heart still whispers help me trust You, Lord, down this new path.
Hints of purple on the redbud trees, a splash of promise that spring has arrived.
I almost have to laugh. Almost. It's getting tiring, boring even, typing these posts. Yes, it's a great thing that I can blog about what's going on in our family. But, you know me--I'm not a drama queen. I like steady and sweet, making a plan, then enjoying the journey as the plan plays out. This is apparently not meant to be.
His Plan, Not Ours
Monday, April 10. After a warm weekend (is it spring, or summer??), I went to work. Fernando needed the car since we were still trying to fix our BMW, so he drove me in then picked me up that evening. It was a regular Monday evening at the store, nothing unusual, and we closed up and were out by 8:30, our typical out-the-door time. Fernando was waiting in the Suburban for me. He got out, greeted my co-worker, we watched til she got in her car, then we hopped in. Fernando put the car in drive while I was getting my seat belt on. He pulled around in a semi-circle, and just after I buckled in, he braked and parked in the middle of the parking lot. I looked over at him curiously. He just looked back.
"You're not going to believe this..."
And I knew.
His next words, unexpected, were not a surprise.
N** had let him go. The reasons were suspect, the circumstances were strange, and the company itself isn't even your typical company. Nevertheless, life changed.
I don't know why I haven't learned yet to not make plans, those long-term attempts to right my tilting world--if we just do X, then Y, and if Z happens or if we work at this long enough, all will be right again. But this is not His plan. Life had been so steady, so in-the-groove, for so long, then four years of upheaval still drives me to think we can get that life back. But His answer is No.
I've tried to accustom myself to His new reality for me, tried to reason it through, tried to accept it. My mind thinks in terms of permanency, and I don't want this "new" life to be permanent. I must trust Him.
My faith is all over the place, stumbling here and there. I've said it before, and I repeat it now: Yet will I trust Him. I must take the next step, trusting in Him. I must move, put one foot in front of the other, even if the ground is unsteady, even if I trip. I must move forward, and trust that He is guiding me. I'm still alive, right? I'm still breathing, right? Not knowing changes nothing, except my cry to Him to help my faith.
Out in my early spring garden, just looking around, I see signs of spring, of life springing up from winter's ground. The green leaves on last year's sage plants, the garlic already growing tall.
The rhubarb sprouted up almost overnight, promising tart sweetness to cakes, crisps, and jams. Just as life continues on, and spring arrives as sure as He is Lord, I step once, then twice. I'm unsure, unsteady, but I will trust. This is what I blogged about in my last Our Journey post, and I blog about it still.
Spring is here, new life has returned, and I will trust.
Christmas is a time of longing, and waiting--with the sure knowledge that it is coming and nothing will stop it. It's not faith, because we know it will happen. We celebrate the waiting and longing for a Savior, knowing it has already happened and we'll get to celebrate soon, on that designated day. In light of this knowing it will happen, I post this Our Journey post.
Celebration
Several weeks ago, Fernando went on a job interview, then got in the Suburban and started driving home. As soon as he was on the highway, his mobile phone rang. He answered (Bluetooth), and a perky lady started talking to him about how she was in possession of his resume, forwarded to her from another company he had applied for but wasn't quite a match. That human resources manager had forwarded it to her, thinking he may be a good match for that company. So she called.
Fernando scheduled, then held, a phone interview with her. And then, a face-to-face interview at No-- in Schaumburg. Everyone seemed to really like him! They gave him a tour of the building and each department, had him talk to human resources about benefits, and introduced him to lots of people. They scheduled a follow-up phone interview, then a background check and drug test. And then Fernando waited. And waited.
He called/emailed back once or twice, but didn't hear. Then, finally, the HR lady got back to him--they were waiting to hear back from Fernando's references! We thought he'd have this job, but oh, the waiting was interminable.
Finally, on a Friday, he received a phone call from J. She scheduled a phone call on Monday at 1pm, at which they would formally present their offer to Fernando. We knew no matter the terms, we would accept. There was no other choice.
On the same Friday, Thomas received a phone call. FF-- was looking for a diesel mechanic apprentice, and could he come in for an interview at 1pm on Monday? So now there were two things to look forward to on Monday at 1pm.
Monday came, 1pm came, and Fernando received his offer. It was a solid, good offer, and he accepted it.
Then we waited to hear from Thomas; we waited all afternoon. My parents arrived; we were going out to dinner with them. We told them that this dinner would now be a celebration, with Fernando's new job.
Still no word from Thomas. So we went to dinner. I finally texted him, and found out that he finally came home. This could be a good thing, I thought.
Upon returning home, Thomas told us the reason he was gone all afternoon--he accepted their job offer and was busy filling out forms and driving to get a physical and a drug test.
Our celebration was doubled; it was almost too much to handle in one day. Almost.
I'll leave this story here, short and simple.
As we approach the celebration of our Savior Jesus, come to save us from our sin, our hearts are full.
Life took a distinct left turn right turn (I'm not sure which!) recently. Either direction, it definitely took a turn, and I followed where the Lord led. I wasn't looking for a job; it wasn't even on my radar. But within a few days, this is where the Lord led me, and I followed Him through the door once more.
Let's back up to Friday, April 22, when, on a whim, I decided to roll out of bed before the crack of dawn to stand in a line for four hours because my sister-at-heart Lori told me that her store was having a grand opening. (Her store meaning she was recently hired there.) Danny rode with me in the car at 5:45am downtown Naperville, since I understood that women started lining up as early as 6:00am, and Danny needed to catch the 7:30 train, and he was already up and ready to go, and he could walk to the station from the store where I waited in line.
When we pulled up to the store, one lone woman was sitting on the bench just outside the store, doing some needlework. I wondered, Is this the right day? Surely this can't be the beginning of the line... But it was. I was #2 in line--me, who never stood in a line for concert tickets, black Friday sales, or store openings. Especially not a women's clothing (fashion, beauty, furnishings) store. Me, who shops for clothing maybe three times a year. But there I was.
I got to know Jennae, the needlework lady and #1 in line--we talked for two hours before others started showing up! She took the picture of me above, so I had proof I did this crazy thing.
Closer to the grand opening time of 10:00, Lori G., the store's district manager, came along to chat with us and take our picture together. She mentioned to us that they were also opening a store in Orland Park in May, and we should apply for a job there. We chatted for a bit, then she left to slip inside the store to help get everything ready for the doors to open--there would be champagne and macaroons, and a goody bag with over $200 of products waiting for us.
Soon, the doors opened, I went in, and experienced the world that is Soft Surroundings. Beautiful store, friendly sales associates, yummy macaroons (flown in from New York!) and champagne... Their clothing was soft and flowing, comfortable, and I actually stood in line for 45 minutes to try on a few items, then stood in line another 45 minutes to purchase my favorites. Whoa--departure from my normal, that's for sure! I had a fun, fun time.
Forward a few days, to April 24 and a Sunday night. I was mulling over what that district manager said about Orland Park. It was a bit of a drive--35 to 45 minutes, I supposed, depending on traffic--and not a direction and town I was at all familiar with. I went over to the website and scrolled to find Careers at the bottom. Curious, I clicked through until I saw it--Part-Time Sales Associate, Orland Park. More on a whim than anything, I started filling out the application. I actually had a resume to upload (with a few quick updates) since I had looked (unsuccessfully) for a job a few years ago. Before submitting things, I talked to Fernando again about this possibility. (Rest assured, I didn't just do this then mention it to him!) He was so positive about it, and enthusiastically told me to go for it. A click later, I just prayed--Lord, You're going to have to either open doors wide that no one can shut, or slam them tight to make it clear to me.
The next morning, I got an email from my Lori (two Lori's in this story, how fun!). She had chatted with Deanna, the Orland store manager, during Lori's work shift, and told her all about me. She had also chatted with Lori G., and then assured me that the job was mine and I should apply. I emailed her right back with a simple reply--So, I submitted the application last night. Not an hour later, my phone rang and Deanna asked if I could come in for an interview, which I did the next day (Tuesday).
I was hired. The details, the flexibility, Deanna herself--everything was right. I still wasn't sure I could do it, but the door was pretty wide open.
I worked full-time for two weeks, from orientation, to Truck Day (everything from fixtures to furniture, clothing and beauty, books and fragrances, rugs and tables comes off the truck and into the store), store set-up, "soft" opening, then our grand opening last Friday (the 13th!!).
Soft Surroundings, Orland Park -- Grand Opening!
And this week, I worked part-time as promised, enough hours to learn how to ring
customers, help them find outfits, answer questions (and the dreaded
phone!), re-stock merchandise, close the store, and open it in the
morning. It's exciting--sometimes scary, really--to learn all things retail. But women are women, and we have many things in common, so when customers come inside to browse or shop, it's easy to make them feel comfortable, to help them with whatever they need.
A month ago, I never envisioned this (I'm glad I don't know the future!). I still have my photography business, and it's going great! But, life took a turn, and here I am.
Purple wasn't just a color. It wasn't just a scripted word on the side of a truck. It was much more than that. And now it's gone.
Let me back up a few days to last weekend, when Fernando drove Arctek Purple out west to South Dakota and NCAA women's basketball, and I drove my sweet old BMW south to a little town in southern Illinois to present two workshops at a homeschool convention. I so badly wanted to spend the time with Fernando, knowing it may be his last trip with Purple. But, he was working with his bosses and there was no room for me, and I was speaking at the convention, and plans were plans so we drove our separate ways.
My view from the road (I was stopped due to an accident).
The Lord had plans for me in Salem, and He gave me the words and the wisdom to share with moms and dads homeschooling struggling learners. I was blessed to be there, and when the day ended I left with a full heart knowing I was useful--my ever-longing desire.
Opening session of the southern Illinois homeschool convention.
I arrived home late Saturday night, Fernando arrived home even later that night, and we slept in, missing church but catching up on sleep and each other.
Comfort means peeking out and seeing Purple parked in our driveway awaiting the next job.
My hopes to accompany Fernando that afternoon on his last scheduled job with Purple were squashed when he received a request for his picture in order to create IDed credentials for the job. Security was tighter; I wouldn't get credentials. There was no last trip for me.
So, Fernando drove off on Sunday, east this time to Indianapolis, and I stayed behind and waited. His "probationary period" had ended, and permanent employment looked promising, but you know me--I'm the Show me girl, the skeptic who doesn't believe until she sees, and Fernando has become that way as well these past few years. We would both have to wait this time.
Fernando came back late, late Monday night, then on Tuesday, proceeded to work on one of the wings of the satellite dish which had an issue. Talk went back and forth about driving Purple to North Carolina to the dish manufacturer for diagnosis and repair; Purple didn't have any jobs scheduled until later in May so there would be enough time to do this.
Fernando also sent an FYI text to his bosses that he was scheduled for jury duty next week, just in case a repair trip might be considered. Then, Fernando ran an errand and came home in what I thought was enough time to have completed it. But not.
He had gotten a call from S., who wanted him to drive Purple this week to NC--best to get it taken care of before the schedule became busy. Within an hour, Fernando had cleared out his stuff, gotten Purple ready to fly, so to speak, and was ready to get on the road.
Being who I am, I took a few last pictures of the truck; I asked Fernando to take one of me with her--she was, after all, the vehicle through which I had my first paying job (besides my photography) in a long time. Yeah, pardon that pun!
Fernando climbed up into the driver's seat, I snapped a picture, and he looked down and said, "Don't cry."
He never says that to me. But he knew what Purple meant to me--secure and steady--and as long as she was in our driveway, we had income, and I was secure and steady.
I laughed and responded, "Yeah, I'll cry after I'm inside. It's okay."
And he drove away.
Once more, I stood on the edge of the abyss, that dark unknown. Where trust had run ahead to dream of plans and adventures in future months, trust now backed my heart way down, to today. Just today. Trust Him for today.
We've had quite the journey, and I would never have believed you if you had come to me three years ago and told me this is where we'd be today.
Just when I was breathing fully again, I now stand here at the dark edge, neither ready nor willing to stand here. Yet stand I must, because forward is the only way. Because there is not a place I'll go where He hasn't already stood.
For right now, though, tears. Just a few, choked up, then swallowed, knowing He is in control, He holds my future, He knows the way, and He holds me. Though I won't wallow in fear, or panic, and though I will trust, knowing that He'll plant me again in another place and He'll let my roots run deep and my tree grow tall, for right now, this moment, I just need to be.
I stumbled across this song a few weeks ago; it touched me then, and it's my heart-cry today.
I've learned over the years that God closes some doors, and opens other doors. Sometimes I try to open those He has closed, and sometimes I balk at stepping through those He opens. More recently, though, I've been stunned at the doors He has opened, and I've simply walked right through, venturing on to the next step in Fernando's and my journey together.
One of those mind-boggling doors opened last week, and I ran through. It opened in the form of a phone call: "Can Christine drive for you on the 18th/19th?" Every now and then, a driver is needed to get the truck operator (technically, he's a satellite uplink technician) from one job to the next, if those jobs are back-to-back; the operator needs to sleep between jobs and can't drive. Fernando needed a driver, I had been cleared to drive, and the door opened.
Fernando had a transmission in Tulsa, Oklahoma on the evening of the 18th, then in Muncie, Indiana on the afternoon of the 19th.
Facts: Tulsa and Muncie are 10.5 hours (straight-through driving) apart. The time from the end of the Tulsa job (~11pm ET) to the on-site time of the Muncie job (12:30pm ET) was 13.5 hours. You get the math. This would be a bear of a drive, my first time out. But the door opened, and like I said--I ran through it.
I was hired. I am a truck driver. *goofy grin*
Just in case you want to know just what it is I'm driving.
Wednesday, February 16.
I've never visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, but I've passed by it four times now--to and from, two times. Fernando was driving this third time as we headed west toward Tulsa.
Fernando had a hankering for some St. Louis barbecue, and thanks to my brilliance (ha!) with the Google Maps app, I found a local diner for our late lunch.
We switched back and forth driving the SAT truck, and finally ended up in Oklahoma. The next day was windy (an understatement!) with a smoke/fire warning (we smelled the smoke the night before when we arrived at our hotel). Fernando and I knew I would need to be able to get as much sleep as possible that afternoon, since I would be driving all night. He had run out of the sleeping aid he usually used, so we made a trip down the street to Walgreen's. As we pulled out of the hotel and onto the street, the heavens parted and the Lord shone His glowing rays down on a huge ice cream cone with a rotating sign: our hotel was directly next door to Andy's Frozen Custard!!
We got our sleep aid, saw a Chipotle, and stopped there to share a burrito for lunch. Share = I ate not quite a fourth of Fernando's burrito. :)
Dessert was a given.
Back at our hotel, I settled in for an afternoon of trying to get some sleep, while Fernando drove the truck to the University of Tulsa for the NCAA basketball game for which he was providing the uplink. The sleep aid was effective, mostly, and I ended up sleeping on and off through the late afternoon and evening. I ate some supper (microwave Asian noodle bowl--at least it was organic!) and waited for Fernando to return so we could get on the road.
And I waited. He was stuck at the site until another truck moved out of the way...
Friday, February 19.
By the time we were loaded up, checked out, and on the road it was about 12:15am. Remember the windy day? It hadn't let up, and I drove down I-44 East, traveling back through Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. It was interesting driving, to say the least, and a constant fight against the crosswind. I have a new appreciation for semi truck drivers!
At one point I passed an accident--a semi had most likely been blown off the road on my right, the trailer twisted and mangled at its front, and the cab lying there, all beat up from rolling onto its side. I prayed for strength and safety--and felt the prayers of my friends/family as the Lord buoyed me up and gave me His strength.
Driving all night is lonely.
The view from my seat at a rest stop somewhere in Missouri, 4:13am.
Lonely is okay, though. Fernando slept in the reclined seat next to me, and I sang quietly to the music playing on my phone, and I was filled with His endurance for the journey. Fernando cautioned me that I didn't have anything to prove, and we could tag-team drive if I needed that; I made it to about 9:30am without having to wake him up. I pulled off somewhere in Illinois to gas up (chanting diesel, diesel, diesel!!!in my head), wake up Fernando, go to the bathroom, and drag my spent body into the passenger seat.
Although I didn't sleep until we reached our hotel, the rest of the morning was a blur: driving, talking, stopping at Cracker Barrel for lunch, parking at the hotel. Fernando drove to Ball State University to work the basketball game (1pm arrival for set-up), and I crashed for three hours. Three hours can be completely refreshing!
Then, I had a friend to call--Magy, whose home was exactly 1.8 miles from our hotel. She graciously picked me up and we spent the evening together, talking, reminiscing, and sharing dinner with her and her family. They wanted to see Fernando, and were happy to drive down to the university, just 12 minutes away. We met Mark (I'll get his job title wrong--I think it was the production manager?), who is from New Jersey! Based on the fact that he and I share that birth state (that's what I say, anyway), he gave the L. family and me a mini tour of the production truck.
The L. family took their leave, with an open door for us to come back to their house after the job ended (I left my camera bag there, after all!), which we did before heading back to our hotel.
I experienced my first car rental adventure the next day, since I would drive home while Fernando continued on to Murfreesboro, TN for the next job. The four hours in my rented Toyota Camry was a breeze, for sure!
Back home, I shared lively conversation with my guys, who had (mostly) cleaned my kitchen. I whipped up a quick dinner, which my friend Becki and I shared together (she came to pick up her co-op order and to visit me for the evening.
Later on, as I relaxed on my couch and looked at the family room the guys had "decorated" in dorm-room style, I realized it didn't bother me. I was home, I was useful, and I was blessed. Nothing more was needed.
Today, this very afternoon, I savored the oolong tea I had been drinking routinely just a few weeks ago, while Fernando was gone all those January/February days. Life had taken yet another turn, down yet another new road--employment, for me. And not just a job, not just an open door for me. For Fernando, too. He had longed for this through all those years of travel with his job early on in our marriage: longed for his wife to be able to accompany him, to experience everything--new sights, new adventures--he got to experience.
Now that a month has gone by, it's time for an update. Fernando's current work with Arctek is indeed a gift, as I called it in the last post. Unwrap any gift, however, and you'll find not only gratefulness and excitement, but responsibility, and sometimes even burden as well. Such is the case with this precious gift of work.
Off on his next job assignments.
Eight days. That's the sum total of time I've seen my husband since he started working from January 4 through tonight.. Home late on a Saturday, or perhaps a Sunday afternoon, then gone again Monday afternoon, or Tuesday morning. Precious days, or just hours, scattered here and there throughout the last month and a half, slivers of time we've held on to because it was trickling away.
Grateful? Absolutely. Bills are being paid, and the household is running more smoothly.
Exciting? Definitely. I'm excited for Fernando, who loves to travel and work with people; I love to see the photos he posts on Facebook, and I enjoy the stories he tells me over the phone of his adventures, the assignments, and the people he meets.
Then there's the responsibility, and the burden--both obviously Fernando's, since he's the one with the job. But both mine, too.
I shoulder the responsibilities and burdens of home, and taking up those things I haven't normally had to do: minor home repairs, new windshield wipers on the car, paying bills, even filling the car with gas. I've become the "business widow," the woman who stays behind while her man goes away to provide for his family. Don't get me wrong--I'm not complaining! There are blessings spread throughout the alone-ness...
Dog-sitting this bundle of (mostly) fun was a delight!
There's less laundry to do...
I'm still making delicious meals, and there are plenty of leftovers!
Our bed looks like this; I flip down a corner at night, and when I wake up, flip it back up and poof--the bed is made!
We've been through so much that I can't not think about those blessings! The Lord has opened this door and ushered us through, each with our own responsibilities and burdens, at the same time walking the road together. And, as the days apart tick away, I start looking forward to our days together.
The weight of Fernando's leave-taking becomes replaced with the anticipation of his return, this particular day being Jake's "Games 'n Grub" party he likes to throw for his birthday celebration late January. I told the boys to make a sign and prop it up in the driveway so Fernando would have a parking space when I got home that evening.
Jake's cake--Almond Cream Cake--became more than just a birthday cake to me, and the celebration became in a sense more than just Jake's birthday. Fernando would be home!
Happy birthday, Jake! (Thanks, Vic, for grabbing my camera and taking this picture!)
This time, we had a day and a half together. Fernando fell into bed 8:30 that night of the party, we attended church services the next morning, and we napped in the afternoon. By Monday afternoon, he was driving away again.
Through the weight of watching Fernando leave, waving goodbye until the SAT truck disappears around the curve and turning away toward the responsibilities waiting for me just inside that front door, I take a breath. Then one more, deep; I hold it for just a moment, then release it. I shut the door, and turn to this new life.
Over the last (almost) three years, the Lord has brought to an end so many things in our lives--employment, homeschooling, self-sufficiency and complacency, even our church home. He carried Fernando and me to this completely new road, not one we would ever have chosen for ourselves, not one we could ever have envisioned for the second half of our life together, but it's His way for us, by His leading. He closed the door on yesterday, and opened a new one, a beginning, for today and tomorrow.
I'm now at the point where I feel like I can breathe again, where I can see His light along the road ahead, while knowing that when I look back I will see the depths of His grace in our lives. It's time, and I step into the future, lit by His grace.
Happy New Year! As our 2015 Christmas was celebrated and we headed into this new year, I thanked the Lord for a very special gift, which we actually began to open the week before Christmas. We had just gotten home from California, where we had traveled to be with family at the death of Fernando's aunt. There were vague prospects for employment for Fernando, and we took the next steps of life into a misty, uncertain future.
One of the homes on our Christmas light "sightseeing" date.
God had plans for us, however--plans that were months in the making, being woven into the tapestry that is our family's life, with gold- and silver-stranded threads we couldn't see until now. It was time for Him to reveal the front side of our life's tapestry, as He does every now and then, to show us the beauty we many times don't see because we're looking at the back side into which He is weaving what seems like a confusing mishmash of variously colored threads and yarn. Oh, the beauty of seeing His perspective from time to time, the awe of knowing how intricately He is involved in our lives!
Silvery snowflake ornament, a gift from my younger brother.
You may recall in Part Eight of our journey the story of the Arctek truck--how Fernando had had a month's work with this satellite uplink company, and how I thought that that work would result in more permanent employment, and how perfect that would have been so that Fernando could work every other month (as is Arctek's typical practice) and have time to build his business in the off months. When those expectations faded, and Fernando started to build his business over the summer, I thought that may be the direction the Lord was leading; but then his business income slowed, and I was left with questions:
Although I was thankful for the much-needed income that March, why just one month with this company, then nothing? What was the purpose?
Why had Fernando's business surged forward, then slowed? What exactly were we supposed to be doing?
I had the whys of each of the other sat (satellite) truck companies figured out:
STS helped Fernando get his CDL, and introduce him to the uplink operations part of the broadcast communications industry.
Working with PSSI enabled us to keep our house with exactly, to-the-day three months of employment.
But the reason behind that March's work with Arctek eluded me. Not that I needed to know--many times we don't know the why, and we may never know, until we see Him face to face, and all becomes clear. I would have liked to know.
And now, I know.
The week before Christmas, Fernando got a phone call out of the blue from Arctek: Are you still interested in working for us? Fernando's immediate answer: yes. They wanted Fernando to work a job for them the week of Christmas, just to confirm their confidence in his abilities, and then they'd offer more permanent employment in the new year. Two employees--one who retired and one who moved into a different position--both recommended Fernando for the operator of Arctek Purple, the satellite truck Fernando had worked with back in March last year.
The next Monday, just like that, Fernando was off, headed out to Iowa. He made it home for Christmas, and the Arctek satellite truck was once again parked in our driveway--a very good sign for the new year.
Arctek Purple parked in our driveway.
We rang in the New Year with family...
...and the following Monday evening, Fernando was off--Indiana, Ohio, Indiana again, and home, finally, late last night. He worked with the heads of Arctek throughout the week, troubleshooting his way through last-minute issues, completing transmissions, driving from city to city. They were duly impressed with Fernando--which is my opinion from what he told me, but seriously--he handled himself like the professional he is on the job.
My questions (from above) were answered, and things--even things I hadn't thought about--are now clear:
Fernando's work with Arctek last March laid the foundation for his future employment with them.
The delay in hiring him was the push he needed to start and grow his business.
Now he has the ability to earn income with Arctek and with his own now-established business.
My past inability to secure extra outside-the-home employment has turned into the ability to manage the home front and both of our businesses while Fernando is gone.
I also have the potential to travel with Fernando on some of his longer trips away.
The mist has lifted, and the Lord has lit the path of our immediate future. Just a few hours ago, and less than 24 hours after Fernando arrived home, he kissed me goodbye and is right this very minute driving toward Michigan and the next transmission job.
Our table is set for a bountiful feast of blessings this year!
This won't be the end of Our Journey posts, I'm sure. There will be more to share from time to time as we move ahead along the Lord's path for our lives. And I'll share it here, where we can praise Him for all that He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives!
