Today marks the beginning and the ending of a season in the life of our family. As many of you know, our family has been jobless since May 21st of this year...that's almost 6 months ago. Thank you to those of you who have prayed and prayed for our family. You share a piece of this testimony too!
Today, my man went back to work.
Our God is faithful.
He really is.
Here's how I know...
The last year of our lives has been one of molding, growth, discovery, and learning. Our views and mindsets have been challenged to the core. The Lord has taught us so much of what His true calling on our lives should really look like- and while doing so, chipping away at our pride and the many strongholds in our lives in order to bring us to a point of actually understand what it means to be living out this calling. He has changed the things we are passionate about, the way we desire to spend our time and money. We began to trade things that we were taught as the norm for Christian life (not saying any of them were altogether bad) to seek out things that have more of an eternal significance and impact. Now, as we began to wander down this path we talked a lot about faith. How we must rely fully on it. How it was what would help up to become more like Him.
Then, in late May we realized it's much easier to talk and read about faith- when everything is comfy and safe. When we are really the ones still in so much control. We were brought to the beginning of a new season in our lives in which we must begin to truly let the words we read, spoke and taught become the substance by which we lived. All other securities were torn away. No income. No health insurance. No idea what the future would hold. It was a very scary place to be. But, honestly I can remember driving home on Jason's last day and saying to God, "Well, this is it. The show is all yours." And for the first time in our lives as a family- it really was. It really, really was. And in a strange way, I was so excited. (and maybe a little tiny bit freaked out)
I know from hard seasons past, blessings and leasons are reaped- our family has learned that to be true. So, I knew God had an amazing plan. As we began to try to come up with a plan and figure out where we were supposed to go and what we were supposed to do somehow my man just didn't know any of these answers. He just didn't know. At the time this was so hard and so frustrating for both of us. I kept wondering "How can he just not know what we should do?" So, I began to pray for him with an urgency and specificity that I never have prayed for him before. Now, looking back I know that this was part of the learning of this season. We were still trying to find our way to fix the problem of provision, instead of trusting fully in His provision for us.
As months passed, He provided in the unexpected. I had 5 weddings booked to do flowers during this time period- I hadn't done a wedding since before Anderson was born! I got a job keeping 2 brothers, the same age as my boys and this met a great need, and also enabled William to return to preschool in the August. Jason had strong resolve and worked tirelessly posting applications day after day after day, cutting back and paring down our expenses, and managing the money we did have. He also worked on a landscaping crew- June thru September...hottest part of the year...without one complaint. I fear I may not have been so gracious in the 100 degree heat! We received the full amount of support we needed to go on a mission trip to Detroit with our Sunday School class that has been planned since the begining of the year.
We didn't miss one bill.
No one got sick.
We went without nothing.
There is still money left over.
Our God shows up!
As we are at the end of this season I can honestly say, it has not ended at all how I thought it would. I think I fully believed it would end in some major life change, with our home packed in boxes facing the wild and unknown. Two things have come from that expectation...1- I am ok with it when and if we are asked to make a major life change and pack our home in boxes. 2- This is not the end. He is not through with us yet. These things may still come to pass. But, for now we have been given an awesome opportunity: To brag on the provision of our God when we were in need. And most importantly to allow ourselves to be used as His provision to others in need.
Today, Jason has gone back to dress shirts, commutes, meetings and flow charts. I have gone back to running the household solo, laundry, and wrangling 4 boys during the day without adult company. Things seem to have gotten back to normal..."regularly scheduled programming"...but, I assure you...the Davis' are, by God's grace, tuned in to a different channel, with a strong and passionate resolve to live a life for the King and His kingdom, by faith and only through His grace.
Thank you for those of you who traveled alongside us down this bumpy road. There were some pretty rough days- and words can't express what your encouragement meant to us...you know who you are, and we love you so very much!
