Remember this blog post? It was just before we got married and Joel had just landed a great new job in the audio/visual field at a local country club. That job he had for a year and a half and WOW we had absolutely no idea what a blessing that job would be to us. Not only was it... a job, but it turned out to be a place where Joel would learn and grow tremendously and encounter all types of experiences. He met some wonderful people through that job, gained great respect and admiration, and learned more about himself and his passions. What more could we ask for?
Well the thing is we serve The God who wants to give us abundantly more than we could ever ask for or receive. SO... After that year and a half Joel was offered another great job, an even better job in the sense that this job would be 100% audio/visual, whereas this last job at the country club involved a little more banquet/event set-up rather than the audio work Joel craved. This job was an audio/visual technician for a company that contracts out their av work to various hotels and resorts around Arizona. Not only would a benefit be the heavier audio focus, but also that this job would open up a whole world of opportunity for Joel. Opportunity for growth, dynamic and changing positions, location changes, basically more of a lifelong career rather than just a job. Naturally wouldn't your first instinct be HECK YEAH!? Well, to be honest, mine wasn't.
Joel was only a year and a half into his current job, and we were barely 10 months into our marriage. Joel had a GREAT job, a job we knew would take care of him and us for a long time. Not to mention the fact that the particular location Joel was offered the starting position at was in Glendale, a pretty long ways away from home and where we hoped to live long term. SO we had some thinking to do. And think we did. Think and pray, pray and think, pray pray pray. That's how it went for a few days while we pondered questions and doubts like "is it smart to leave such a great job so early on?" And "is commuting to Glendale every day going to be doable?" Or "what if his new schedule sucks?" All valid questions and discussions. But ultimately we were led to a complete peace, a peace that only comes from The Lord, about this being the right move for us. The right career move for Joel, and what was necessary to get him in with the right company he could be with long term. This decision was only affirmed time and time again as God orchestrated everything perfectly from Joel leaving his other job on good terms even to us negotiating Joel's pay a bit to justify the extra gas expense. Isn't it amazing that when we're faced with hard decisions God doesn't just leave us hanging in the unknown as to whether or not we made the right one. He is right there with us affirming and guiding and showing us His will. That's grace! We accepted the job... Trusting and praying that one day God would provide a way to be closer to home, that Joel would ENJOY his job and that in the future he would have opportunities for advancement. All of this completely unknown, scary, and risky and yet completely peaceful and so right at the same time. That's faith!
So now here we are. 10 months into this new job and Joel has officially been offered a promotion at a location much closer to home! Like 20 minutes and 15 miles closer to be exact. God has literally answered two of our prayers at once, and we could not be more overwhelmed with thankfulness and excitement. Our prayer for the last... 10 months actually... Has been first and foremost that God would lead the way for Joel and this new company, whatever that may be. And that we'd be willing to follow, in whatever way for however long. We accepted this job without the guarantee of a closer location or higher position, but more importantly with the FAITH that God would provide both of those if this is where he wanted Joel to be. If I've learned one thing through this whole experience it's that God desperately wants to provide for and bless His people! Because when he does he gets the glory! God gets the glory for giving this to us, not Joel. And more importantly, Joel knows that. I could be writing a blog post about how hard of a worker Joel is and the many many things I've seen and heard him do at his new job that have led to this promotion. And believe me, I almost did. But the truth is that Joel's work ethic actually plays such a minimal and insignificant part of this. This is ALL about God, and the lessons we have learned in faith, prayer, and obedience that better enable us to serve Him and honor Him with our life. God blesses us to show His grace, His provision, His love. SO THAT WHEN HE DOES (here's the key) we turn right back around and give Him the praise, Him the glory, Him the honor. I am proud of Joel yes, unbelievably so, but I am more in awe of our God and the way He has held our hands and hearts through this whole journey. We continue to cling to these promises as Joel moves forward with his new position.
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