Roller Coaster Ride and Blessings (Part 1)

A few weeks ago, my husband heard about an administrative job in his school district.

He applied for the job and was called to interview.

The interview was held at the district office, where the panel of big bosses conducted the all day interview between he and three other candidates.

It was grueling.

All of the situational scenarios he'd been asked to 'handle' before the panel were things he had dealt with as administrator at his other school, and passed that phase of the interview with flying colors.

He also had more experience than any of the other candidates.

He came home fairly confident that he'd nailed it.

It seemed he was a shoe-in.

We couldn't help counting our chickens before they were hatched, and excitedly discussed what we would be able to do with the pay raise.

Then, he learned that one of the other men on the panel was already employed at the school with the opening, and in fact, had been brought with the principal from another school to that one and was apparently being groomed to fill the position one day.

And he did get the job, even without formal administrative experience.

As often happens in school districts, the guy was pre-selected for the job, and the interview was really just a formality required after the posting of the job opening.

That had not been something we'd taken into consideration.

It was hard news to take. We were so sure he had things 'all sewn up'.

The Lord had other plans.

It simply wasn't the right time.

It had begun to feel like we were on a roller coaster with big ups and big downs.

Our house-hunt had around this same time become frustrating and embarrassingly long. How long is it even appropriate to string along a real estate agent for, anyway? To meet him at house after house after house to see the inside, only to know right away they were not "the one"?

Our hunt was also wrought with disappointment. Along the way, there were several homes we totally fell in love with...only to learn that they weren't the one intended for us.

We knew this because we'd spent considerable time in prayer, praying the Lord would lead us to the perfect one.

But somewhere in this sequence of what we considered to be big "downs" (read disappointments) on this crazy roller coaster ride we felt like we were on, we began to look at the circumstances around us.

Instead of continuing to trust the Lord, we began to question His timing and His methods, our expectations and feelings tangling up around our feet along with our lack of trust.

And we began to lose hope and sink in the waves of doubt.

But the very next day, the Lord chose to humble and bless us by meeting another very big need in our lives.

When He provided us with a mini-van.

Free.

With low mileage and in excellent running condition.



And we were blown away by the truth of His Word...how He knows what we have need of before we even ask.

He chose that moment-after that really big disappointment-to give us something that we felt we didn't have any business asking Him for while asking for something so big like, you know, a new home.

As if He didn't own the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and couldn't provide both?!

This mini-van is not only a reliable vehicle with heat and A.C. and working windows and a lock button, but also has plenty of room to take others with us when we go anywhere....which the Lord knew we would need on down the road.

Like, say, when I took on a babysitting job for two darling little girls the very next week.

And the amazing thing? He wasn't even finished blessing us!

Oh, but I don't have time to write about all that tonight...