What a whirlwind of ups and downs, these last two weeks of “vacation” have been. I left Florida having just interviewed for a nanny job starting July 1st that I was waiting to hear back from in the next few days. Then I hopped in my car and drove to my parents new house in South Carolina. Had an awesome week there with my family soaking up as much niece and nephew love as I possible could (I’m pretty sure that I’m their favorite aunt 😉
Friday of that week I got a call and was offered the nanny position (yay!) Then that coming Monday I start on my way driving to Nebraska for my childhood best friend’s wedding. All was going well when three hours into my 15 hours drive my car suddenly started leaking coolant and I had to call for a tow truck. So I sat in the mechanic waiting area for about three hours until they came to tell me what was wrong and the joyous news that the parts will not be coming in until tomorrow…
So I find myself a cheap, dinky hotel room to stay the night in, have a good cry from a mixture of exhaustion, loneliness, frustration, and changed plans. After regaining my composure I decided to go do a little exploring as well as try and find some dinner. I started walking up a hill towards some restaurants that I saw from the hotel window. Something keeps me walking and I run into a Barnes and Noble bookstore where I spend the rest of my evening reading up on all the countries that I will be going to next year. (yay for little joys in the midst of frustration!)
The next day, I finally got on my merry way and made it to Nebraska. Let the wedding festivities begin! Wednesday came along and I received information that I am no longer needed for the nanny job that I had gotten. Needing to raise $16,562 and not having a job is a scary, scary thing! It was time for a wedding though so I pushed those thoughts of not knowing what to do aside and enjoyed watching and standing by my best friend as she married the man she loves.
“Sunday morning, rain is falling…” Come Sunday morning there wasn’t really rain, but my spirits were definitely down as I tried to cling to my trust that the Lord will work everything out, but honestly having no idea on earth what I was going to do next or even which direction I was going to drive in that afternoon. My friend’s parents, who I consider to be second parents to me, offered and convinced me to stay for a couple more days with them, sit by the lake at their house and really seek what the Lord is asking me to do with my remaining time in the states.
So off to church we went that morning. It was a great time reconnecting with people I hadn’t seen in so long. I was also blessed by having a few of the elders in the church pray over me for clarity and direction. Afterward I was driving back to their house honestly excited about this opportunity to sit by a beautiful lake with the Lord for a couple of days. Little did I know what the Lord had planned for me and all the little details that he was intricately working together to place an opportunity right in my lap.
Before the end of the day, I was offered a job here that could not be more obvious that it was a divinely orchestrated. Never would I have thought that I would move back to Nebraska before leaving on the race, but He is God and He is good. Not only was He good when everything fell into place, but he was good when I had no plan and was feeling lost. I have seen over and over again how he has worked in the detail of my life and this was no different.
If you’ve made it this far in reading this blog, thank you. I want to leave you with this little nugget of wisdom my mom sent me from one of her devotionals:
“God develops real peace within us, not by making things go the way we planned, but by allowing times of chaos and confusion. Anyone can be peaceful watching a beautiful sunset or relaxing on vacation. We learn real peace by choosing to trust God in circumstances in which we are tempted to worry or be afraid.”
He is God, and He is good.
Trust in that.
