One of the most defining times in my life, when I knew God was absolutely in charge and things are in His time and not mine, was when I was pregnant with the 6th Grader. It's a long story, but I've got time and to be honest, that's the only kind I tell. So here goes.
The hubby and I had been married about 15 months when I got pregnant with him. Up until that point, I carried our health insurance because none was offered where the hubby worked. I found out I was pregnant in January of 1999, and I started praying in January of 1999 that God would give the hubby a new job that had great benefits. I knew I didn't want to work full-time once the baby was born and wasn't sure I would go back to work at all, so I got busy. I sent out lots of resumes for him to whatever fax number I could find to whatever company I thought might hire him and have great benefits. So based on my prayer and my effort, I assumed he would have a new job with, of course, great benefits by February of 1999. Since I'm not completely ridiculous, I thought I'd give God until March just because I'm such a good sport. Somehow, I think God decided to see how good of sport He could make me because February came and went with no calls. Then, believe it or not, March came and went with no calls. Um, God? Hello? I prayed. Lets whip up a job right quick now, how bout it?
Now funny enough, I was also teaching a college and career class at church at this time. I lie not, I think every Sunday was some version of a lesson on waiting on God. Those poor kids. They were merely the victims of my needing to learn a huge lesson. They had to endure week after week of the same lesson because of me. Maybe He was teaching them to be good sports too.
My belly grew and my baby flopped, and no new job was had. The hubby went to some random interviews during that time. He would come back on occasion and say curiously, "Um honey, what made you decide to send my resume to that place?" "I thought they might hire you," was always the answer, no matter how odd the job might have been. And the belly grew and the baby flopped and the job was not happening, but I knew I was not leaving this flopping baby 40+ hours a week. I knew something would work out.
My initial due date with the flopping baby was 9/9/99. How cool is that? It was cool for about 15 minutes until they did an ultrasound and changed it to 09/18/99. On 9/18/99, the belly was huge, the baby could no longer flop and no job leads were in the works. I'm pretty sure I reminded God that I thought we should have had this all settled back in February. I'm pretty sure He reminded me that I wasn't in charge.
Then it happened. On Monday, I was two days overdue, and the phone rang. It was a local cabinet shop wanting to interview the hubby. Oddly enough, cabinetry was the line of business he was in. He set up the interview for that Wednesday, with me in a state of four days overdueness (made up word for the purposes of this story). I was at church that evening when I talked to him. He said the interview went well, but they were looking for someone to be self-employed. He'd have to have all his own tools, vehicle, everything, so he didn't think it would work. That would be a big investment for two people married just over two years with a baby on the way (or not- we weren't sure at this point he was ever coming out). And one last detail he mentioned, we could buy our health insurance through them, a very strange thing that almost no one offers their subcontract employees.
On Saturday evening, our precious boy was born, and WE WERE THRILLED! We had tons of feedings, tons of visitors and tons of emotions. We sort of forgot about the job situation until Monday. While still lying in a hospital bed holding my new baby, the hubby went over to the phone, called his current employer and gave his notice. Did I mention that my sister and her husband who knew nothing about nothing at this point were sitting in the room with us? Did I also mention she about fell in the floor with a look of panic that her brother-in-law was quitting his job with a brand new baby to take care of? When they heard the story, they were so excited, "Your own company! It can be Ladd and Son now!" I remember looking at the hubby and saying, "We are crazy! Can you believe we're doing all of this right now?" God's timing is God's timing.
He did start the job, did have great insurance and did have all the supplies he needed including a trailer to pull. When we went to get the trailer, he said, "How do we pay for it?" We wrote a check for the over $500. To this day, I don't know how we had that extra money. No one gave it to us. We didn't budget it. It was just there. I'll never forget him saying, "Seriously, where did we get that?" I said, "I don't know but pay for it quick before it's gone."
I got saved when I was young, so I don't have the reformed druggie, lived on the streets testimony that some have. Times like this in my life are my testimony. Times, when if we'd known in advance, would have looked like there would be no way. I learned a lot from that few months. I've not mastered anything, but I do have more faith because of it.
The hubby moved on to another job after about six years and is no longer self-employed. The job was a blessing and what we needed at the time. I don't know if he'll ever be self-employed again, but if so, we'll update the title of the company and add an "s". We'll be the proud owners of Ladd and Sons.
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