I thought I'd share our story from the last few months. Needless to say, it has been a rocky road full of tears and joys.
The story begins back in January of this year. Lud found out from his boss at his former job that things were not going well. There wasn't much work and Lud decided to look for a job. Lud diligently looked for work at his previous place of employment, asked former co-workers who had branched out on their own and put in some resumes at other locations. No one was hiring. I had a wonderful job at Cave Spring Baptist Preschool- working with wonderful children, loving co-workers and great hours. I was able to put Noah on the bus and pick him up and Luke came to work with me. However, the pay was not much. I began looking for a job so I could go right into a job once the school year got out.
Well, the hammer fell on Palm Sunday. Lud's boss called him at home on Sunday afternoon to tell him that he was no longer employed. While we knew it was coming, it was still a blow to us. Since Lud is in technology, we figured that he would be out of work for quite a while. We decided our next step wast to put our house up and move into my parent's vacation home an hour away. I was very emotional. We had moved into this home as newlyweds (18 months married), brought my babies home to this house, stayed home with my babies, watched them grow...and now we had to move.
In the mean time, Lud had felt a calling to return to our former church home, New Century Church. Our pastor's wife was very excited and invited us to a church dinner. We decided to attend. We sat at round tables. We sat next to some old friends and the other couple sat beside Lud. We knew them but not very well. It turned out that the man, Tom, was a sales rep for the telephone system that Lud wanted to learn. Lud told him his story and said he would try to get Lud an interview. Well, two weeks later Lud was hired!
In the mean time, we got the house ready and put it on the market. Our house was on the market for 5 days and we got a contract on it. We were so thrilled that God allowed this to happen so quickly.
Additionally, I had found a job at Head Start. I am certified to teach 6 through 12 Social Studies. I had wanted to find something in my field but no one had openings. I enjoy preschool children and decided this was the best option for me and our family. However, the only openings they had were in full time centers; which means that I would be working in the summer. So my mom graciously agreed to watch the boys for me. Well, I got into a routine but the boys never did. They became disrespectful, disobedient and just rude. I could tell that my mom was at the end of her rope. I decided to leave Head Start, hopefully temporarily, to get the boys acclimated to me working and our move. I asked my direct supervisor to come back in the fall and she said no. So, that week-end I applied for the only social studies opening I could find and it happened to be in Bedford County where we were moving to. So I applied, send the principal my cover letter and resume. Well, after two interviews I was offered the job and I start in a month!
But during this time, God really worked on my heart and Lud's. Lud accepted Christ as his savior three years ago. After many years of prayer on my part and others around us, Lud realized that he is a sinner and needed Jesus to bridge that gap between him and God. However, Lud was reluctant to be baptized by immersion as we do in the Baptist Church. We Baptists believe that the baptism doesn't save you it is just an outward symbol to the church that you are saved and want everyone to know it.
Additionally, God allowed Lud to loose his job and the realization that everything comes from God really hit home for me. So that first unemployment check we got, I tithed for the very first time. Sure, we have given to the church for years but never tithed our 10%. I figured it was easier to start tithing at that point because were were coming from nothing to something. So I started tithing in April.
So, Lud finally realized that he needed to be baptized and he was baptized by his good friend, Thomas, on Mother's Day. It was a surprise for me and I was so excited. Luke got to see it. However, Noah was in Sunday School. Noah has been telling us for 2 years that he has Jesus in his heart. And he has said for a year that he wants to be baptized. But Lud and I were unsure since he was so little. But once he heard Lud had been baptized, he got persistent. Noah was baptised on June 7th.
I always believed that God would take care of you. But coming through by relying on God I now see that God will take care of you- all you have to do is be obedient. My prayer for those of you reading this is: my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ- put your trust in Him, give Him your worries, he will take care of you and for my friends that are unsure of their salvation- cry to the Lord and He will save you.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6: 25a, 26-27
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
