Sunday, May 1, 2016

Why I Told My Husband to Quit Teaching and Then Begged Him to go Back

You know those times in your life when you can look back and clearly see how the Lord worked everything out so much better than you ever could? I love stories like that. Sometimes those stories are easy to forget or take for granted.

The other day at my women's bible study I had the opportunity to share one of those stories. And it felt so good to remember how my God is incredibly abundant in His faithfulness, love, and power. And grace. Let's not forget about the grace. 

I have to record this story because I never want to forget how He has changed me. In a good way. Grab some coffee, loves, and settle in.

Just about the time Brad and I decided to start a family, he also decided to make a major career change: from elementary PE teacher to telecom sales. We made the decision together, but I'll be honest...I wanted him to quit teaching. I knew it would never bring in enough income to fulfill my heart's desire to stay home with the babies we didn't even have yet. But this was our chance to try something different in the hopes that it would all work out the way we had planned.

And so he quit teaching and went to the corporate world. Gulp. This was a big change. His base salary in sales was only a little more than half of his teaching salary. The rest was commission. His hours went from 7:00-4:00 to 6:00-6:00 (if he was lucky to get home that early). He went from playing all day in Nike gear to cold-calling in suits and ties. Big changes. But he did it. For me.

That first year of sales was rough. Lots of "no thank-yous" and little to show in the bank for his efforts pounding the streets collecting business cards. However, during his second year of sales, things started to look up and all the work from the previous year was starting to pay off. We could tell that he was on track to double his teaching salary. Double. Which meant that I would be able to stay home with our babies (that we still didn't have yet). Yippee, right?!? Not so fast.

Brad was miserable and the satisfaction of making more money was so temporary and empty when compared to the stress of it all. That's when I knew. I needed a happy husband, not a rich husband. And so I begged him to go back to teaching.

Please hear me when I tell you: It was not the job's fault. In fact, there were many great things that happened as a result of that job. We discovered how little we could actually live on. And we were able to save a lot because we never knew what the next month would bring. We also learned to trust in the Lord's plan for our lives (even when it looked different than we imagined). Teaching was so obviously the path that the Lord had laid out for Brad. And when we finally stopped fighting it, we were content. And by "we" I of course mean "me." The Lord really did a work on my heart during that time period...in lots of ways.
 
We found out we were pregnant right after that after nearly 2 years of struggling with infertility. Y'all. That was NOT a coincidence. And the way Brad got his teaching job back...there is absolutely no way that the Lord's hand wasn't all over that as well. Let's just say that it was a case of the right people running into each other (almost literally!) at the right time, in the right place. And just like that, Brad and I were teaching at the same campus together again and expecting our first baby. The Lord's timing is just so perfect. 

Are you ready for the icing on the cake? Fast forward to today. I am about to start my 6th year as a stay at home mama and wife to my teacher hubby and our 2 littles. 6th year. The very thing my heart desired most that I never thought could be possible on a teacher's salary has happened...for almost 6 years. There is no way we can even begin to take credit for that. No way. It is nothing we did. It is ALL the Lord. God is so good. So incredibly good. When I was selfish;  He turned it into good. When I was worried; He turned it into good. When I was impatient; He turned it into good. When I tried to derail His plans for us; He still turned it into good. He is the good-maker.

Last week Brad was recognized for 15 years of service as an Elementary PE Teacher. And I could not be more proud of him. Teaching isn't for the weak. It's tough business at times (and all the teachers said AMEN!). But it is where he is supposed to be and I am thankful to be the Coach's wife.

And how handsome does he look all dressed up for the 15 year service pin ceremony? Super handsome. :)

I am humbled and grateful that we can see this promise found in Scripture demonstrated in our own lives through this experience:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11


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