Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Proverbs 29:18 (06/08/23)
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TITLE: Provision | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Janson
06/14/23 -
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The nurse was sure.; the bloodwork confirmed it. Katie looked over at her son asleep on the couch,
“No wonder he’s been so tired lately. Poor baby. Well, if nothing else, it will force me to sit down and complete this application,” she thought.
Six months ago, Katie had decided it was time to go back to work. She hadn’t prayed about it. It wasn’t something her husband was encouraging. It just seemed like with her fifth son entering fourth grade, it was “time”. And with two boys in college, they could definitely use the extra money. She was thrilled when she found a part-time position that fit her background on the local hospital’s job board.
She had gone through the tedious job of changing her RN license from the state of Missouri to Michigan - fingerprint and all. She had swallowed her pride enough to call her previous boss (with whom she hadn’t spoken in 12 years) to ask for a reference. She had even calculated her yearly salary after taxes - about $12,000. Now all she needed to do was complete this lengthy application that she kept saving and setting aside until time allowed for working on it (and hopefully secure the job).
Katie checked on her son and sat at the computer. When the phone interrupted her, she thought of not answering it, but it was her sister.
“Mom fell. She’s ok, but she broke a couple of ribs and both wrists.” She paused, “Is there anyway you can come into town to help within the next couple of weeks? I know it’s a long drive and you guys are crazy with baseball season, but…”
Katie sighed. Of course she didn’t expect her sister to take care of their aging mother all by herself. She would call mom right now, and discuss a “good” time for a trip to St. Louis with her husband tonight.
Logging back into the hospital’s website, Katie glanced at the clock. Maybe she could finish one question on the application before her sons got home. She needed to get started on dinner and really wanted to go to her 16 year old’s baseball game.
The next day, as Katie finally got back to the hospital application, she was again interrupted by the phone. This time it was her husband, Peter.
“I’ve got great news! I was just asked to be the chairman of the board for ARW!”
Katie could feel his excitement. He continued,
“Babe, they meet all over the world. We will go to Africa, Australia, Mexico…supposedly I’m one of the youngest chairmans!”
Of course Katie’s first thought was what will we do with the kids? But she didn’t want to rain on Peter’s parade, so she did her best to celebrate with him.
It was a fiercely windy day, and Katie felt just as turbulent inside. She left a note for her sleeping nine year old and went outside for a walk. She shouted to God,
“How am I supposed to do this? I can’t take a job, and then ask off every
other week because of a sick child, a needy parent or a husband’s convention!”
The wind died down and Katie heard His soft voice,
“Not yet.”
She argued with Him, but He repeated,
“Not yet.”
He brought to mind the perfect job He had provided after the birth of her first child when there was a financial need. He reminded her that right now she lacked for nothing.
It suddenly occurred to Katie that she hadn’t even prayed about this. She realized maybe God was protecting her, and she reminded herself that His ways were always bigger and better than her own. She went home a little sad at letting go of her dream, but at peace.
The next week Katie got a piece of mail from an employer she worked for over 20 years ago. It was a standard letter for past employees with pension accounts. She had gotten this “junk mail” before, but something made her call them this time,
“I keep getting these letters, but I don’t have a pension with Citi Place,” she told the customer service representative.
“Yes, you have a pension,” the representative replied, “there’s a balance of $12,000 in it.”
This is a true story
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