God has a plan for each one of his children. When we are exactly where he wants us, we will know. If we are truly seeking God's will, we will find it. To me, what I am about to share, is a miracle in my eyes. God worked out every detail and looking back I can see it clearly.
My whole life I have worked with kids, in daycare centers, schools, at home, churches, and tutoring facilities. That has always been my passion. After going to college to become a teacher I taught three years at a local public high school before I stayed home to raise my kids. I homeschooled my 5 children for 9 years before we put them into a charter school. I then went back into the workforce as a paraprofessional at the charter school. About halfway through my 9 years as a paraprofessional our financial situation changed and a life-changing event happened that turned our world upside down. (I will probably share about that life-changing event in a later post.) I tried to hang on to my job at the charter school because it was where I really felt God wanted me. It never felt like a job since I loved it so much. I loved making a difference in those kids' lives. But the financial burden kept growing and I took on a second job as a tutor to help supplement our income. We finally hit a point where we could no longer make ends meet and I had to start looking for one job that was year-round that could meet our financial needs.
God supplied another job working in an office answering phones and scheduling appointments for a local heating & cooling company. It was quite an adjustment since it was something I had never done before. I know God puts us in certain places in order to fulfill His plan so I kept watching for how God was going to use me. I quietly lived my Christian life in front of them. I would let them also know that I was praying for them when they were going through struggles. A few times I even shared my opinion on Biblical issues. Then a God-thing happened. One of my co-workers, who was a total opposite of me and my beliefs, went through a huge struggle in her life. I let her know that I was praying for her. Then God asked me to do more. God placed it on my heart to visit her at the hospital when her husband was admitted. I knew I needed to go, but I didn't want to. It was the weekend and I was busy. But when Sunday rolled around, I felt such a burden to go. I could no longer ignore God's tug. I went and was greeted with unabashed hugs. She was so glad to see someone from work that was willing to leave their day-to-day normalcy and step into her world of emotional anguish. And she was even open to me praying with her before I left. God planned another encounter for us when my son needed surgery and her husband was hospitalized again. Imagine the chances of having us at another hospital at the exact same time. I say providence...not coincidence. This time things moved to another level. Once we knew that we were both going to be there at the same time we made sure to connect. We prayed together and she also let me know that both she and her husband had recently accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Imagine the joy in my heart! What a moment of tears and joy. God did the work in their hearts and I had a front row seat to the whole thing. God allowed me to be a part in their spiritual journey and I got to see their growth in the years to come.
God allowed me to continue sharing my quiet faith at this company for a total of ten years. In the past year I had been praying for God to clearly show me if there was something more I should be doing. With the goal of hearing, "Well done good and faithful servant" at the end of my time here on earth, I began to do some serious soul searching. I then began experiencing more and more stress at the heating & cooling company as the year unfolded. Around April of this year, I earnestly started asking God for a clear sign of where He wanted me. I needed it to be so clear that there would be no doubt. I thought He would show me where I was supposed to go to do His work, but instead He clearly showed me that I needed to leave the heating & cooling company. When July rolled around I was experiencing so much stress that I started to have anxiety and chest pains. Definitely a very clear sign. I knew I had to act upon God's extremely apparent signs, but I had no clear direction of a new job. My parents had ingrained in me that you never quit one job before you have another one lined up. This was the time to trust God to lead me again like He had so many times before. I knew God was going to come through. If He was showing me that I needed to leave this job, then I knew without a shadow of a doubt that He would provide another one.
Five days after my extreme anxiety and chest pains I gave my three weeks notice. At that moment I felt a huge weight fall off my shoulders. I no longer had the anxiety or chest pains; they were absolutely all gone! I started to feel joy again! For a short moment I wondered if I should stay since I was feeling better, but I knew that if God gave me those signs, then I could not stay. During those last three weeks I began to get my resume out there and was confident that God would lead me to the exact place for Him to shine through me. I had no doubt it would happen.
My last day came on August 10th and still no job, but I did have an interview lined up at a school. That did not pan out and I continued applying to schools in the area. I still had no doubt that a job would be in my near future because God knows our needs. I had such a peace about the whole situation that I began to relax and just enjoy my much needed vacation. I could really get used to retirement. 😉 Two weeks passed and the school year was about to begin; I must admit that I was a little worried and started to apply for other types of jobs as well. If God hadn't provided a school job by the time school was starting, then it must not be where He wanted me. I just had to put my resume out there and see what God would bring my way.
Last Sunday (Aug. 26th) a friend at church, who worked at a charter school, said she received an email saying they still needed paraprofessionals...and school was starting the next day. I got really excited. God was giving me another sign. I went in Monday morning and talked to the principal. He loved my extensive background working with children and asked when I could start. I went back the next day for more questions and discussion about the job I would be performing. I got the official offer that afternoon and I accepted. I still have some paperwork to fill out and fingerprinting, and all the other good stuff needed to work with children. My much needed vacation will come to an end next Tuesday when I become an interventionist paraprofessional at a local charter school.
I can look back over all these experiences in my life and see that God is so so good!!! He has guided me each step of the way and I will reap the joy and blessings of following His lead. This is my miracle!
