Favor

Possibly the worst day of my life came during what should have been one of the most glorious times of my life. When I was six months pregnant I got a call from my husband telling me he would likely be losing his job through no fault of his own. Long time readers may recall that I gave up a stable, well paying career before I was married at the leading of the Lord, which left us as a single income family.

Just the moment Andy called with this somber news I was pulling into the parking lot of my former place of employment where I occasionally work PRN. As I listened, my mind began to race back to the day I quit. I had been so sure that I was doing the right thing, yet we just kept struggling. I started to wonder if I would have to go back, hat in hand, disregarding what I thought was a clear instruction from God and asking for my job back. A week later we found out that his employment was indeed terminated. When he told me it was official he said that he had peace about it-I did not. I drove around for about an hour screaming at God that He had abandoned us when I was only trying to do what He had said. With no income, no insurance, and no prospects on the horizon I asked Andy what I needed to do. There is not really a market for a pregnant x-ray tech, but I figured I could find something, anything, to help. He would not let me pursue another job.

This was the first, but not the last time I would ask if I needed to put preaching on the back burner and earn some real money. His answer was always the same-no. Andy always had faith that I had indeed heard the voice of the Lord when I began my full time ministry pursuit and didn't want us to live with the consequences of ignoring that call. When I had settled down and started talking to God instead of screaming at Him, He spoke a message to my heart loud and clear. He told me that because Andy encouraged me to continue to follow His leading that God would show Andy favor. He told me that Andy would have blessings of his own because he didn't let me give up.

Andy eventually found a new job which paid better but sent him home stressed out everyday. After a few months an opportunity opened up for him to work in an entirely different field. He got a job at an extermination company crawling under houses. Even though the work is hard, he comes home happy at the end of the day with checks that are more than he could have imagined before. But that's not the best part...

While training his lead told him "just keep telling yourself you've only got to be under houses for a year, then you can switch to something else." The next week he followed along on a call in the division that works inside of houses instead of under them. While calling on a predominately Hispanic neighborhood, his trainer struggled to communicate but Andy, a fluent Spanish speaker, stepped in and saved the meeting. Word got back to the bosses who offered to give Andy the route. What should have taken months if not a year took 3 weeks! But that's not even the coolest part...

The man he is taking the route from told Andy he would do what he could to give him more business. The next day he walked in to tell Andy of several sales he had made that would benefit my husband. The first words out of this man's mouth? "Andy, you must really have God's FAVOR on you."

I say all this to say that when we were struggling, living somewhere I would have never chosen, and worrying about how I was going to have a baby when I didn't have coverage it was hard to believe that such goodness was on its way. But God is faithful and I'm not his only child. He loves you just as much as He loves me. Whatever your circumstance, God is sovereign and He can put you in just the right place to turn everything around. Don't give up. Don't give in. Know His voice and follow it for it will take you places where His blessings will rain down.