I FOUND THE TENT

Hello everyone. Please forgive me as it's been many many days since my last confes..err...my last blog post LOL!

I must say that it has been a fast-paced week and many new and exciting opportunities have presented themselves. Many of you may remember a blog post that told of my trip to Tennessee for a pastor's conference. During that conference I was at the alter praying that God would provid supernaturally for our missions programs. I got up from the alter and a woman chased me down, told me she was praying for me while I was up there and that God had showed her that He would provide the tent! Now at the time I had no idea what she meant exactly as I was also praying that God would give us an opportunity to have a home of our own on our family land.

Many months have went by and I have always been asking, "What about the tent God?" What does it all mean?" Well I am happy to report that after months of looking for my "tent" I think we've finally figured it all out.

It will be two years ago this Januray that I resigned from my career and began working as a bi-vocational pastor at our church (PBC). It was so amazing just how God had called me and then moved everything in place for that to take place.

In mid July, on the very day that Sarah went back to work from her materinity leave and Chloe's 4 day in daycare, my old job called and begged me to come back...they were willing to do anything. I was dead set against. Sarah was very upset...she had just put our child in daycare and now there was an opportunity for me to make great money but only at a part-time level. She would then be able to stay at home and raise Chloe and Katie and any other little baby that has yet to arrive.

My spirit had NO, ZERO, ZILTCH peace about it. I was not going back to "egypt" unless Dad said to go and I was hoping he would say not to. I turned them down and vowed to get a job at night that would have insurance so that she could stay at home if that's where her heart really is.

Last week Sarah asked me if I had been looking for a new job. I said no because I thought that whatever was going to happen was just going to happen easily and that I wouldn't have to dig and work to find a job that would meet our needs. Sarah was still a little resentful that I had turned down what seemed like the perfect job.

The next day the phone rings. It was my old job...they wanted to just make sure because they were getting ready to hire some lady from Florida but really wanted me instead. The night before I had just said that it would be "easy" and just fall in my lap and now they were calling. This time I "felt" differently...not because I was worried that Sarah would be upset but I just felt like I should seriously entertain this.

I went for an interview yesterday. He offered me a great salary base plus bonuses, all of my gas and cell paid for, and my 11 years tenure reinstated and all of my medical benefits...oh and all I have to do is show up at the office for one week and train a class for a second week...I could do both my work at PBC and train at Stewart. I can go whereever whenever I want and I'll have the resources to do it now!

I walked away from the interview without accepting the job that he offered me. I had settled it in my mind that this was the logical thing to do, but my heart was still in question. I kept asking Dad to please stop me if I was wrong or to let me know if I should go on forward into the job.

I woke up this morning and still was settled on accepting the job in my mind, but my heart was still in limbo. I wanted to do it for Sarah and that made me happy, but I want to do it knowing that Dad said it was what He wanted...afterall, He did call me AWAY from that very same place almost two years ago...to go back seemed wrong and out of place.

I opened up facebook where I had posted something about taking a second job and sarah staying home and that I was going to take it...Bruce from Ukraine said, "You are a great man, husband and father. The road you are taking is the more difficult one but will allow Sarah to fulfill her calling." My eyes welled up with tears and my heart leaped when I read those words about Sarah's calling. I had never looked at it from that prespective. Sarah was behind me and was willing to happily embrace my calling and when He called me the doors were open and we went through...

Sarah's calling according to the Book is to be a strong Christian woman and mother and raise our kids...that was it entirely...it was like Dad was saying..."Now go there and let Sarah do what I'm calling HER to do."

I confidently called and accepted the job. Sarah's so thrilled. She's going to work through this flu season so she can make great commissions and we can save some extra dough and then she will likely quit in November. She is soooooo very happy. She will get to do some things that some women only dream about...now God has heard her heart's cry and given it to her.

ON to the tent...now part of what I was saying to Neal and Scot yesterday afternoon was that Paul was a tent maker and still did the work God told him to do and go where He told them to go so I was saying it's okay if I do this because Paul did this...just trying to justify and make myself feel better.

Amy told Scot last night that I missed it all along...she said that God had revealed it to me back at the conference...the tent wasn't necessarily having to do with resources that would be provided (because that's what I was praying) but it was a DIRECTIONAL arrow on what I needed to do for the next step...make tents...train salespeople...still do the work at PBC and around the world that Dad has called and asked me to but use the tent profession to make it easy to go and to bring harmony in our home...the tent was the next step...only I couldn't see it until all of those things had to happen first...I really believe that's what it means so it makes me feel even more excited to realize that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be so I should not worry about being out of step.

Scot also was asking the same requests to God and was offered a job on the same day as me with a fellow Christian that loves outreach work and loves that Scot loves it too...He offered him a great job with freedom to do outreaches whenever he wants for as long as he needs AND gave him a great signing bonus so that Scot and Amy's trip to Africa next month would be paid for entirely!!!!!!

How neat we were both praying the same prayer and together and He answered it in very similar ways on the same exact day.

I know it was a long story, but I didn't want to leave out the testimony of it all so God could get the praise that He deserves from it.

Sarah also asked if there was a sea of little black faces in Beckley that speak Swahilie LOL!!! I told her no and that she may not like the answer to that particular vision cuz it may mean some big changes.

It's neat that when God speaks to us sometimes it seems so complex and like a riddle until all of the cards have been played...then it all makes sense and all along he was showing and revealing what he wanted.

Well next MOnday will be my first day back and I'm truly excited at this new mission. I'll keep you "posted" for sure on how it goes.