And It's Good. . .



AND IT"S GOOD!!!
Romans 8:28 "And we know in all
things. God works for the good of those
who love him, who have been called
according to His purpose."

 Three years ago when my husband resigned from his dream head coaching job (that he just got) to care for his sick mom, I knew we were doing the right thing.  It was easy to see at that moment it was the right thing to do!  However, I didn't imagine how hard the road would be for doing the right thing!  I knew we had a challenge with bringing his mother in to live with us as she can be difficult at times.  I knew we would have an income problem since Chad would at best be an assistant coach and at worst just teach for a year.  I knew this and God reassured us and said "It's good you do what I am leading you to do." I had my mind wrapped around the idea that it would be a tough year but that it would all work out in a year!

Well it didn't work out in a year, at least the way I thought it would!  Things definately got a lot more difficult! I took a buy-out at my job thinking I would get a teaching job in a few months!  A few months turned into 15 months of being unemployed!  Another hit to our income! How could we survive?  But we did!  God reassured us and said "And it's Good. . . you have this time at home with your son before he starts school.  And it's Good. . . you have a chance to rest and heal."  However there were days when I wished for the easier life, when I wished we could have just gone on with our plan for our life.  Days where I was angry God made us choose.  Days where I felt everyone was looking at us like we were fools to do what we were doing and days I felt the fool for doing what I was doing!  But God would come back and reassure me "It's good you followed my plan. And it's good things aren't as easy as you are used to them being. And it is good you are developing character."

Then God provided a teaching job for me at North and not just any job, a job teaching Marketing which I really enjoy!  God provided a head coaching job to open up in the district.  I really thought we were coming through to see the "promised land!"  But the job in the district didn't work out.  I can't tell you how low we felt.  Again doubt from 3 years ago would creep in and doubt about if God even cared crept in as well.  But again God reassured me "It is good you doubt. And it is good you question. Sometimes you don't get the answer without the question." Although it was reassurance it did not make me feel any better.  I still had to ask why God did not see fit to give us back some of what we lost.  We had been faithful and I thought in return He would be faithful and would want to give us some of the desires of our hearts.  And that's when it hit me what all God had done!  I had been blinded by what I wanted but did not see the incredible BIG prayers being answered because I was so focused on the jobs and the income.  What God did do was what I thought could never be done.  He gave me a good relationship with my mother-in-law.  Something that we have never had and I didn't even think God could make happen to be honest.  It's not a perfect relationship but it is by far better than I could have ever imagined!  What God also did was take our daughter and give her wisdom and understanding about His word that is amazing to see in a child her age.  What God did do was take our son who was shy and acted out and has turned him into an outgoing, polite and respectful boy (for the most part).  What God did do was take the difficult times in our marriage over the past 3 years and turn our marriage into something so strong and filled with so much joy and love.  What God did do was change everything that mattered! 

I realized that it was BIG things God was doing but in my incredibly selfish heart, I couldn't help but think if He could do all of that why not do something smaller like a new head coaching job?  My prayer had been for God to only open the doors He wanted us to walk through.  I didn't want a bunch of interviews to get our hopes up.  I just wanted the "one".   Out of the "blue" on a job we had heard through the rumor mill was "guaranteed" to another coach, the call came for an interview there.  I have to say that at the moment, I knew that was where we were going but it shocked me so much that's the job God had in mind!  A job closer to my family but at a large school that has tradition and talent!  A job that is perfect for us and a job my husband accepted this week!  God reassured us again "It is good for you to go here. And it is good. . . that this is exactly what you would dream of if you didn't allow yourself to settle for just anything."

God is soo Good!