Changing Seasons

In case you missed it....this is a continuation of the prior post.   You may feel a bit out of the loop if you don't read that first. Or you can just read on...

I strongly believed that God had another place in mind for us.  I just had this feeling that there was going to be this gate of relief and blessing opening up in time.

So I would encourage Ryan by telling him it was just a season.  His awesome response which I will never forget was, "That's nice.  Have you talked to the Israelites?  Their season was 40 years." (Remember, he was working in a 5am-6pm job in which he was the punching bag: it didn't necessarily breed optimism)

But I really did believe that God had plans for our family to blossom in the outdoors, fellowship, work balance, and much more.  All areas where we were not flourishing.

It took about eighteen months until we saw the light appearing at the end of the tunnel.  That was a long time.   I remember going inside to put on another jacket during a family bonfire in the backyard (in June) crying because I was so weary of being cold.  Look, I cry like twice a year. I was tired of feeling bone chilled for eight months.   Really tired.  It is a feeling that is hard to explain.  And I remember comforting crying kids who had said good bye to their dad for a week for the second time in three weeks. It was a long haul.

All the while Ryan and I did not feel right about him looking for a new employer.  He was (and still is) working for a company that is very large and rather good to their employees as well.  We knew there were lots of options for him being possibly promoted or transferred to one of their other locations (in most of the 50 states and even worldwide).  But it was going to take the right combination of his networking connections and God's hand.

The wheels began to turn in Spring of 2013.

By August he was working in a new position.

And in September we all packed up and traveled for two full days.