Watching The Sparrows
(In MckMama’s words, your retinas might be bleeding after this post!)
I am truly amazed at how God is leading our little family. I’ve been hesitant to write about it too much here yet because we’re not exactly sure of a lot of things. But we need prayer power, so I’m going to tell you all about it and the wonderful, clear direction from God yesterday.
God led us from being two very in-love teenagers to finally getting married in 2006.
After a heartbreaking miscarriage (aren’t they all?) in July 2007, we were taking this amazing picture on Thanksgiving Day 2008.
In March 2009, this family picture was taken. Ridley was 2 months old.
This was taken at the County Fair in September 2009. Our little man is growing up!
Okay, now that you have a little background…back last Fall (2008) Prince Charming and I decided that it was time for me to leave my current (amazing) job. The day before I left Bragg’s Furniture, the economy tanked. We were stunned. Our decision for me to come home was shaken, but Prince Charming said that he was sure he wanted to stick with the first decision.
We quite literally lost $1000s of income each month. Prince Charming took on a second job that required him to travel. He did lighting maintenance in TJ Maxx (and family) stores. It was a wonderful way that God provided for our financial needs.
The only MAJOR drawback was that we never saw each other. We were really starting to see the toll that this schedule was taking on our marriage, our family and Prince Charming’s health physically and spiritually. It was really hard…and honestly it was awful. So, we began talking about options.
Yesterday, it became very apparent that it was time for PC to leave his second job. God made it incredibly obvious. After a phone call to his boss at his primary job, the Lord again confirmed it. His boss had been thinking about PC the day before and wondering why he didn’t just work some overtime. Wow! We were amazed!
PC made the phone call to his Dad who is VP of Operations for the company that PC was working for on the side. His Dad said that he had been praying for the exact same thing. Another confirmation. AND there is already someone to take PC’s position. (I thought to myself, “poor guy.” ha!)
So, Saturday is PC’s very last day with his second job and he will be able to provide for our needs with his other job alone.
God is so good!
In our quest to get out of debt, we are planning to put our house on the market in the next few weeks. This is majorly hard for me because I’m so emotionally attached to our house. I’ve put a lot into it, but my family and my husband are more important. We are looking for land and the possibility of a modular home. I was amazed at how good the modular looked when we went inside. I’m just sayin’ that it had lot of nice details…kind of surprising to me.
We are trusting God to provide a buyer for our home and the exact place where He wants us to go. He has led us this far and I know that He will continue to lead our little family.
So, why have I linked this to Things I Love Thursday? Well, I love my family and I love my husband more than things, more than my home. We would rather live in a cardboard box and be together more than have the home we have right now and never see each other. God is hearing our heart cries and leading us in the right path.
I took this picture right after a huge storm that included tornadoes. God’s faithful promise of a rainbow. Can you see the double rainbow?
So, today give your family, your husband, your kids a little extra love. And never be so attached to things that you forget what’s most important.
God truly has His eye on the sparrows, and I’m glad He’s watching me.
For more Things I Love Thursday, visit The Diaper Diaries.
This is a great post. We went through a similar "change" a few years back. God used my husband's Type 1 diabetes to teach us to depend on Him, and in turn to depend on each other. We're both incredibly independent, so it was a hard lesson.
Praying for you guys. The Lord will lead you in His paths.
We have gone through very similar circumstances these past two years so I can totally relate. We sold our home, moved to a rental which was very hard for us. The ultimate goal was to save a lot of money, buy a house in a couple of years etc. The economy tanked and we have been hanging on by a thread ever since. Our dream of big savings and buying a house got bumped up at least 5 years which sometimes gets me down. But looking back if we hadn't sold our house when we did, we would have been in so much financial trouble and had loads more to deal with. It was all God's plan, which we knew, we just didn't expect it to end up the way it did. He knew all along and while it didn't turn out our way, it did His way and that's the best way of all! Blessings on your sweet little family and I pray that God will give you all the desires of your heart 🙂
Such a touching post today, Myra. I am so glad to see God's work in your family and knowing that with his guidance and lead, you are making the right decisions for your family.
Wonderful to see that your husband is able to cut back on the traveling by leaving that position all together. Having physical distance, allows brings emotion distance.
I will say a prayer in hopes that your home will sell quickly (but not too quickly 😉 ).
I'm so happy for you to be going through such a growing time in your life as a family.
I will be praying that God's will, will be done by opening the doors He wants and closing those that He wants as well.
Our house has been on the market for 4 months, for similar reasons as yours, mainly we felt like God was calling us to. We are trusting in God and though it has been frustrating at times, since it hasn't sold, it is a great to know that God's will, is being done.
blessings!
Girl, your choice is so honorable! Praise the Lord you have a relationship with him! I hear you, we live in an apartment so I can stay home. Sure, I would love a house, but I also love my tiny apartment and my loving family. Prayers are with you, and may God continue to bless you all for seeking Him first!
Oh, Honey! I can so completely understand and agree with you! Praise the Lord that He supplied your need at a time that you didn't even know exactly what to pray for! We are on the same path right now! And family does come FIRST, after God, of course… Love you!
Great post. God has shown himself to our family in such concrete ways over the years I don't know why it still amazes me. He will reward your faithfulness again and again. Can't wait to hear more about your adventure with Him 🙂
My story might be long so bare with me. We have been transferred from Florida to a suburb of Cincinnati Ohio. My husband leaves in 2 weeks and I leave in 3. We moved from Atlanta (husband in 2004 and my son & I in 2005) That was a tough year being apart from each other and me being by myself homeschooling a 5th grader that was absent a dad. Anyway, when we got down to Florida, we were going to build a house. They told my husband that he should hold off because we might be transferred again. We waited 7 months before we started building. Now, 2 1/2 years later, we were told in July that we would have to move. The housing market in Florida is quite bad and our house was put up on the market for 55k less than what we built it for. My husband is in management and they have a clause that if you are in your house for less than 3 years, they won't let you loose money on it. We were so thankful for that but then we were told that they only pay what is on the closing statement. We paid cash for our lot, (20k) paid cash for all of our flooring, plumbing, appliances, and lighting. For 3 weeks I did nothing but try and get receipts together and we put a packet together to send to the railroad to see if they would cover more. Well, they didn't. They said that they would buy the land and all that was involved with the land. We had to remember that if we had built the house when we moved down here, we would not be getting that money back. God KNEW that this was going to happen. He also sent a buyer for our home on the same week that the railroad gave us an answer about the money. It was a burden lifted from our shoulders. God works on his time and not ours. We may be losing some money on the house BUT my husband has a good job, we have a house that we are buying up there, and the railroad pays for our moving company, all closing costs, and gave us a small percentage of our house sell. In the end, we didn't make all of our money back but God provided in other ways. I had prayers from friends on Facebook and people all over. You will make it. It might not be your exact plan but it is HIS plan. Your family is irreplaceable but houses are. Good luck and you will have many prayers going up. Sorry that my comment was so long but I felt the need to let you hear our story with the hopes that it might comfort you.
I am so thankful how God has worked things out for you in such specific ways already! I know He will continue to lead, direct, and guide your steps. Love you!
Nothing good comes easy. He can teach us more in the hard times than we would ever learn when life is easy. Keep leaning on Him. "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths"
Ridley is such a handsome little man. God has surely blessed your little family. Isn’t it amazing, the power of prayer? I cannot find myself attached to things when there is this much love in following, believing, and knowing our Savior! He has always answered my prayers and other prayers submitted for me. “Our God Is An Awesome God” and “It Is No Secret What God Can Do!” :o)