Spring Forward

Today is the first day of spring. The start of a new season - one of renewal and rebirth. In East Tennessee, tender buds and smatterings of bright color pop up on every available grassy surface, a reminder of God's bountiful, beautiful creation.

Spring makes my heart sing.

On Island Home, looking toward downtown Knoxville

The last time you and I met, it seemed that this past season of our lives - the non-stop stress, caregiving, health scares, unemployment, and the like, was winding down and that something new was winding up. Ben and I wondered exactly what the Lord had in store this spring.

Have you ever stood on a flexible diving board, preparing to jump into the water? When you're ready to jump, you have to fully commit to that decision. If you hesitate or overthink, that extra second of your weight on the board won't propel you as far into the water, and you'll miss your mark.

The Lord has propelled us into our new season.

Recently, Mom has had more bad days than usual. This is part of the progression of her illness. She has started experiencing insomnia and mild psychosis, which necessitates her nurses needing to call me often. I need to be able to answer the phone when they do.

At work, my boss changed some things at the office, and our patient volume exploded. All of a sudden, it was just too much to try to advocate for Mom and work full-time in a busy chiropractic practice. It also wasn't fair to my boss to have a distracted employee. So, I quit. I had been working there for 3 years and really enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting things to change, but they did. I guess sometimes God has to nudge you along to the end of that diving board.

Ben and I decided that we would make a part-time job work for me, so I've spent the last week updating my resume and applying for jobs. I interviewed yesterday for a hospital patient registration job that I think I'd like very much. Please keep me in your prayers as God reveals the mechanism in which I will serve Him in this new season.

I have to share a wonderful story with you. You might remember that the company Ben had worked for for many years had suddenly folded. It was a stay-at-home job and perfect for both his health needs and disability restrictions. On social media, Ben had shared that his dream was to finish college, go to work as a project manager, and be healthy enough to eventually work full-time again outside the house. "Like a grown-up," he joked.

Dears, if you're blessed enough to know Ben, then you know that I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that he is a treasure. He has a brilliant, assured mind and a hero's heart. If he hadn't had so many health struggles, there's no doubt he would have helped find solutions to half the world's problems by now. (Or maybe he just would have become a rich eccentric, adopted all the strays in the world, and staged an all-dog version of Steel Magnolias. He would cast an English Bulldog in the role of Ouiser and Annelle would be played by an Afghan Hound. Don't act like you can't see his vision.)

This has been something that weighs on him greatly. Other people who feel their disabilities or circumstances hamper their potential probably understand this very well. Have you ever thought, if I just had the chance to prove myself, I could help others in a great way? To not have that ability when you want it, however, is a lesson in patience and trust in God's sovereignty. It's been a challenge for Ben to stay faithful in God's timing, but he has done so admirably. While he has been waiting, the Lord has been restoring Ben's health. He hasn't gained any weight back yet, but his weight is holding steady and his labs are good.

Out of the blue, a friend of Ben's from high school messaged him and said that his company might have the perfect job for him. The job was a remote, work-from-anywhere project coordinator position for a national company that deals with energy projects. Ben was excited, of course, but told his friend he hadn't yet finished college and needed a very specific pay structure. His friend said, come interview, and we'll see what we can do.

Ben went to Atlanta for the interview and came home with his dream job.

This is a job that, on paper, he wouldn't have seemed qualified for. No hiring manager in the world would have even given his resume a glance - except that God wanted Ben to have this chance. So He made it happen. He orchestrated it so that Ben's generous friend would happen to see a social media post at the perfect time when there just happened to be a job opening that would be a perfect fit for Ben. The Lord has given Ben the opportunity to prove himself so that he can have the opportunity to help others in a great way.

This is the God we serve! What seems impossible to us is not impossible to God.

We are still in shock over this success. Please join us in praising the Lord for this opportunity and for Ben's good health. Please pray that Ben will excel in this new position and that God's name will be honored by Ben's actions.

I pray the Lord will pour out bounty and blessings to all of us in this new season. May we flood each other with the same love and care we use to shower our garden blooms.

And if you find yourself at the end of the diving board, have no fear. Have faith in the endless pool of God's possibilities.

Spring forward, my friends. He is there to catch you!

March 20, 2019