The last five weeks have been a whirlwind

Upon returning from our cruise, I had intended to submit my resignation. I even had the letter written, ready to provide to my manager. God had other surprises in mind for the day. I was prompted to take a pregnancy test before leaving for work. I told myself that it would be negative and I could feel more confident about taking a new job. Instead, it was positive! I was speechless. D had to interpret the lines on the test by reading the directions to understand what was going on. Fortunately for him, his first response was excitement. Mine was total confusion, “What was I going to do?”

Fortunately, God did not provide me a lot of time to decide, and He settled my heart fairly quickly about staying on at my current job and forfeiting the new one. Good. I could handle that. After all, the job is stable, and I can get support from my co-worker who is totally baby happy. Then, the winds picked up as tornado number two zeroed in on me. By the end of the week, both my boss and my baby happy co-worker were laid off, leaving me the only person remaining in my department. Was I thinking this is a stable job?

Clearly God is showing me that He is in control because none of this was my design. Yes, I wanted to be pregnant, but I also wanted to commit myself to a new job. Yes, I have struggled in my relationship with my boss, but I was the one who wanted to leave, not her.

I was so looking forward to time in Iowa on vacation with my family and D’s brother. Life would feel normal, at least for a week. Then, nausea, fatigue and a general feeling of first trimester “I just want to lie down” hit me. So much for normal! Instead, I became a travelling vending machine for snacks and had to ask for accommodations so that I could get the rest I needed. I’m usually the one in the bunch who doesn’t want to stop. Vacations typically leave me exhausted! Fortunately, this one did not because my family was gracious enough to let me take a nap in the truck, puke in the van, eat what I wanted, stop at every bench at the zoo, etc.

It was a lovely time sharing our news with them, enjoying their company, playing games, soaking in the 75 degree weather and eating their delicious food. Highlights included the Old Threshers Reunion, Joy's sticky buns, an extended family potluck, hearing Julia play her flutes, playing with the kids, sailing, wii with Nathanael & Krystal, grandmas dessert, Jaarsma’s cherry doughnut holes, reading stories, playing scrabble with Jon & Trista, mowing with Dad, fires with Jordan, talking with Mom and butchering a rooster.

The vacation was great; we didn’t want to come back to the busyness of our work. God is good though. We had an ultrasound last week and everything with the baby looks good. He sustained me through a fasting lab appointment where I had to give six+ vials of blood. Work although busy, has been a blessing lately. I have plenty of peace and quiet to get what I need done and there is very little drama in my department (only what I create for myself now). I am finding time to rest on my lunch breaks too. Work keeps my mind off of feeling crumby. I’m not sure I’d be motivated to do much if I were at home all the time. And for now, the job is stable, providing income and affordable health insurance. God’s in control and He will see that my job lasts as long as I need it.