A miracle

On July 25 I turned in my resignation for my job. To be able to keep my position while in Africa I was going to have to get all my shifts covered. So I needed 45 days covered. I knew that it was going to be close to impossible to get that many days covered, but I put an enormous sign up list at work. Because I work 7on/7off I needed to give a 1 month resignation notice. As the deadline for me to put in my notice approached, I only had about 8 of the 45 days covered. I lost all hope that I would be able to keep my job. Last year, when Tim and I made the decision to go to Africa for 3 months, I knew it was very likely that I would have to give up my job. As you can imagine it was a huge decision for us for me to give up my job. On the morning of Monday, July 25, as I typed my letter of resignation, I looked over at Tim and asked "Am I crazy for doing this?" He said "No, your obediant." A couple of weeks before, I broke down and cried and really allowed myself to think about what quiting my job would mean for us. I started to begin to let my flesh take over a little and began to worry about not being able to find a job when we returned from Africa. But thank God for the Holy Spirit! At a time when I was emotionally weak and stressed out, the Lord carried me and gave me the assurance I needed. I kept thinking about Matthew 6: 25-34:
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
   “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
   “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."
So the day I turned in my notice I was completely at peace with it. God called us to go to Africa, so He would take care of all the details to get us there and back. (By the way, we raised all our funds for the trip!) There were several times when people came up to me and asked "So what are you going to do about your job while you are in Africa?" I wish I had a picture of the look on their faces when I told them I had turned in my resignation! :) Yes, people thought we were crazy, but I took comfort in the fact that Jesus' own family thought he was crazy too. So if we are following him there will (or should) be times when people think we are a little crazy. I also kept thinking about how when Jesus called the disciples they laid down their nets-their source of income, their jobs, their life, to follow Him. During this time I had so many people praying for me about my job situation. They knew what was at stake.
This past week I went into work and on Tuesday my charge nurse came up to me and asked "What if all the days on your sign up sheet get filled up? Is that ok with you?" I said "YES!!! That would be awesome!" She told me she had been praying and she felt like God maybe wanted her to try to help me get my days covered. So at this point I'm thinking "That is so sweet of her to want to do that for me, but it's still pretty much impossible and probably not going to happen. God has called me to give this job to Him so that's what I have done and I am ok with it." So my sweet, precious charge nurse called just about every person that works in our department asking if they will help me get my days covered. On Saturday night, she hands me a small stack of papers with a long list of names. I asked her what it was. She said "Your sign up sheets." All the days but a few were filled! I was so shocked and overwhelmed! By the end of Saturday night all the shifts were covered! Can I just tell you what a miracle that is?! I did not think it would be possible to get 45 8 hour shifts covered, but with God ALL things are possible! So Monday it was official, my boss allowed me to withdraw my resignation and now when we return from Africa I will not be unemployed!
My heart is so full! I have to say thank you to all my precious coworkers who agreed to work for me. All of you are amazing and have huge hearts! God used you to make a difference in my life and through you, He gave me an unexpected miracle! Thank you Edith, for making hundreds of phone calls and working so hard for my sake. Thank you for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to use you in a big way. All of you are answers to so many prayers.
My greatest thanks and praise goes to my Heavenly Father! You are not only my Savior, but my Provider, Sustainer, and my Everything! You made a way when there was no way! When I was leaving work Saturday night I was reminded of when Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac and just when Abraham was about to kill Isaac as a sacrifice for the Lord, an angel stopped him. When Abraham looked up there was a ram in the bushes. God provided a sacrifice. Now, giving up my job is no where near sacrificing an only child by any means, but God provided for me in a way that was big for me. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude and praise to the Lord!
I will end this post with a song by Kari Jobe the Lord brought to my mind this morning.

"So faithful. So constant.
So loving and so true.
So powerful in all You do.

You fill me. You see me.
You know my every move
and You love for me to sing to You.

I know that You are for me.
I know that You are for me.
I know that You will never,
forsake me in my weaknesses

I know that You have come now,
even if to write upon my heart.
To remind me who You are."