From The Mud Puddle

The beds are made, the washer is going, we are dressed (yeah it’s early afternoon, we should be huh?) and the kids are busy with their schooling. So far it is a typical Monday morning/early afternoon for us. My husband leaves to go to work at 11:30, so our days do not have to start quite as early as most. This is nice in that it seems I have raised two night owls in my children to match their parents. Here the last few weeks, not only does our day start with schooling in PJ's first and a late breakfast, but also tuning into the africam waterhole. This morning it was amazing. Right before we logged off the site, a lion was spotted at the Pete's pond site. I switched over quickly and got to see her. She was beautiful. God sure made all the animals unique and amazing each in their own way.

When I started staying at home with my kids, over 16 years ago now, I quit my job as a purchasing clerk at a cabinet making company near here. It was a great job-but God had a job for me that would be even more wonderful than that one…MOTHERHOOD! I have absolutely loved being a mom. It’s not that one cannot be both a mother and have a job outside of the home. God’s plan for me was to stay at home with our kids, and furthermore, home school them. I love being an at home mom. I have loved watching my kids grow first hand, rolling on the floor with them, playing with them and teaching them. Our days sometimes have been full and busy, while other times quiet. God has blessed us with the time, and furthermore, the ability to appreciate what was before us in this time with our kids.

About 7 years ago, the kids and I started delivering phone books. My son was 7 at that time, and my daughter was 9. It was fun!! We’ve had good years with it, and bad years. God has used it to draw us closer as a family and to learn to really work together for a common goal. God has also used the money to provide for us in various ways.

Also, For the past few years, I have off and on done temp jobs. My husband and I had discussed it three years ago right before he was laid off. After he became laid off, it became a bit more necessary for me to try to go ahead and do some temp things. After he found another job, I just kept on as we had discussed in the first place. I don’t work often, maybe once a month or so…sometimes more, sometimes less. I enjoy it as it gives me a chance to get out there and do something a bit different. It also gives me a heightened appreciation of the time I do have with my kids. (not to mention the money of course is nice) I am happy as a stay at home mom for now, but I also know that my kids are getting older. There is coming a time soon where they no longer will be schooling and will be off to discover life for themselves separate from me and my husband. It will be a bittersweet time I am sure.

So with that, thoughts sometimes lately do float to what God may be guiding me towards in the future. Do I want to go and finish my degree? Do I want to just go directly into the workforce? Do I want to just work part time at that time? What exactly does God want me to do ?

A few weeks ago, I got a call from the temp agency asking me if I would consider two jobs they knew I qualified for that would be temp to hire type things. One was a full time PBX switchboard operator at a local university. It was full time, so I was not really interested in that one at this time. The other was for a part time purchasing clerk working for another company near where my husband worked. The hours would have been perfect. The kids could do the busy aspect of their schooling while I was gone….and we could still maintain things the way they are. It sounded very interesting. I was not looking for this-it just came. I tried to just be open to God and handed it to him. The lady at the agency asked me to send her an updated resume. I did.

About thirty minutes later, I get this call from the lady at the agency. She said that she got my resume, but had a question. She asked, “what have you been doing for the last 16 years exactly”. She saw my resume ended with the job I had before my daughter was born. I laughed. It was funny to actually hear someone ask me this question like this. What exactly HAVE I been doing the past 16 years? How much time have you got? LOL I told her how I got the last job that I had as a temp to hire thing from them at one time and that after I was hired, I became pregnant. I decided to give up my job in order to stay at home with my baby. She said …”ohhhh”. It all made sense now. I really don’t know if she read the summary of my resume at the end before asking this-but still…funny …

As God so had it, I did not get the job. I had turned the situation totally over to Him, knowing He always has my best interests in mind (and the best interests of my family). He sees what I cannot see there. If He said no, then there is something better for me here still at home, or He has something else planned. I was a happy stay at home mom before…and found myself grateful for His watching over me and my family. Perhaps it was to just continue to give me an appreciation of these final years, perhaps it was to keep me from something that is at that particular job He didn’t want me to be in. Perhaps it was as simple as a Father’s no to me, His child. Whatever the reason, I am Thankful.

I just got a call for a temp job tomorrow. God’s provision for our family…always

posted by Muddy at 1:44 PM