One year ago...

This post is a week behind, for I wanted to post on the exact date but it didn't work out that way.  Such is life.

One year ago on June 17, I quit my job of 19 years.  I started working at Hobby Lobby in Springfield, MO in Oct. '91.  It had been a most enjoyable job.  Thus... the longevity.  I always enjoyed all the people I worked with and believe it or not, I always had terrific bosses.

In '94, I started traveling around with Hobby Lobby's "set-up crew".  We remodeled stores and set up new stores.  This was most definitely the highlight of my career... as much as Hobby Lobby can be called a "career".  I was living in Missouri at the time and Muskogee, Oklahoma was the first store outside of my state to remodel.  The second store was in Tulsa, OK.  I immediately fell in love with the people and the town.  I worked in Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi but I always found myself coming back to Tulsa to visit.  That's how I ended up in Oklahoma after living in Missouri for the first 25 years of my life.  Such an exciting life, huh?  Lol!

I had felt for a couple of years that I should quit but then we bought a house so I kept working.  A few years later, I had that feeling again.  Every time my husband and I would talk about it and pray about it, it just never felt right, I never felt the release.  Plus... I didn't want to quit!  I absolutely loved my job!  That doesn't happen very often.

Then I knew the time had come.  I was fighting it hard.  I wasn't ready to quit.  But I could tell by a few things that happened within my family that I wasn't available for, that things had to change.  Still... I fought it.  Now I can look back and realize I was only fighting God.  At the time, I thought I was just fighting myself.  

I had a really, really bad week at work which was very unusual for me.  Oh yes, I always had the occasional bad day... who doesn't?  But I never had a bad week.  My husband suggested it was time for me to quit.  He saw it but I didn't want to see it.  I went back to work that next week and WOW!  I was still having a hard time at work for the oddest things.  So I took some time and spent it with the Lord... at least half the day with no interruptions.  Having 3 kids at home, I usually get an hour here or there but I made sure I had hours to spend with Him.  In that time, the Lord showed me.  He showed me that I never stopped long enough to be silent and hear what He had for me.  I was doing what I wanted to do, not what God wanted me to do.

I went back to work and put in my two week's notice.  Guess what?  I wasn't sad at all!  I finished out the two weeks and on that last day, I just felt happiness, I felt that release and it felt G-R-E-A-T!! 

The reason for this post isn't to bore you with my story but instead to give God glory for all that He has done for me... especially in this past year.

We were never worried about the income loss, we trusted God to provide for us.  He was the One moving us in this direction so we trusted Him.  All I can say is WOW!!  God blesses for obedience and I was thrilled with the blessings He was bestowing on us for finally following Him (okay... me for finally listening)!  We did not feel the loss at all.  As a matter of fact, we had more $$!  It literally drew our family closer together because I was available for them.  I wasn't too tired like I was every night when I worked.  Then on my days off I was feverishly doing house chores.  It was different now.  The way it should be.  We've always had 'sit down at the table' dinners but now I was able to really enjoy them and not be so tired.  I actually enjoyed cooking for them, lol.

Now, a year later; in so many ways, little and big, I can see God's Hands over all we do.  I'm grateful that He allowed me to work outside the home to help support our family.  But I'm even more grateful that the Lord now allows me to be home to raise my kids and take care of our home.  Isn't God so very good to us?