Blessed Work

First of all, I'm excited to be today's featured blogger on Lynnette Kraft's Getting to Know You event over at Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground. Welcome to everyone stopping by from Lynnette's! And for my regular readers, if you are looking for some other interesting blogs to read, be sure to check out the event every Monday and Friday to see what blogs Lynnette is featuring!

Our family also has some exciting news. Ever since we considered moving to Texas last summer, Don's resume has been posted online, although he has not been actively seeking a new day job. We bought our house in the town we wanted to live in, close to family and friends, knowing that the only drawback would be Don's hour long (longer with traffic!) commute across Massachusetts. Lately, he has been receiving lots of phone calls from recruiters who come across his resume online, but they are usually trying to fill contract or temporary positions that are just as far away. Since Don has been employed at a large software company for the past three years, he certainly would not consider leaving a steady job with excellent benefits for something temporary.

Then a couple weeks ago, he got a call about a job that sounded a bit more promising: a permanent, full-time position only half an hour away. Don went into the interview knowing that the company would have to make a good (translation: much higher paying) offer in order to make it worth leaving his current position. And less than two weeks later, that is exactly what happenned! After lots of prayer and mathmatical calculations, he decided to accept the new position that will cut his commute in half and greatly increase the time he spends at home.

As the sole wage earner in our family, has been coaching gymnastics five nights a week in order to make enough money for us to own our home, which has resulted in him being out of the house for about 14 hours every weekday. At this new job, even after deducting the increased cost of medical insurance, he will make enough money to comfortably support our family with just one job, which means he will no longer have to work nights. He keeps telling everyone that now he will be able to have dinner with his family every night - something that, because he has worked nights for much of our marriage, has never been the norm in our family. What a wonderful blessing for him to have more time with the family just as our family is about to grow!

And since he left his former day job and has a couple weeks before the new one starts, he is on a sort of vacation for a little while, which is another praise! With everything we want to accomplish around the house, having him home for more than a few weekend hours will be very beneficial. The boys love being able to spend extra time with Daddy, too. If you don't see many posts from me in the next few weeks, it's either because I'm busy spending time with my sweet husband...or because he is hogging my computer! :)

I know that God's hand has been in this, because everything seems to have fallen into place with no effort on our part. Even though Don was getting increasingly frustrated with his job, we were not seeking a new one, and yet God has handed him not only a source of income in these times when many are out of work, but an even better job that will make life more comfortable. His real dream, of course, is to own a gymnastics facility so that he can do what he loves, make a comfortable income, and spend lots of time with the family. But since we do not yet have the money to start or purchase a gym, this new job seems to be a step in the right direction: closer to home.

I am very, very blessed to have a hardworking husband who responsibly supports our family even when the work is frustrating, demanding, and difficult. Please keep him in prayer as he prepares to start a new job in a new place, and pray for me to be a fitting helper, encouraging him and helping him to succeed in every endeavor. Just as the husband in Proverbs 31 is respected at the city gates, I pray that my husband would likewise be respected for his integrity wherever he goes, and that my own character and works would add to the respect others have for him. I do not envy his responsibility to financially support our family and to be our spiritual leader. Instead, I thank the Lord for the great privilege and responsibility of being a helper to the husband He has given me. Whether I am packing his lunch, keeping his work clothes clean, teaching his children to respect their daddy, or overlooking an annoyance for the sake of harmony at home, I know that my role is important to my husband's success. May God give me encouraging words and a servant's heart to build up my husband as he moves into the next stage of his career!

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11