The title of this blog post is really the story of our family. God has done some miraculous things for our family this year, and I am finally taking the time to write it all out while listening to a great CD in the background.
I think our last blog post was about all that God had taught us last year in May when we were in limbo house wise and were having to stay in a hotel. We learned so much about other people and saw things that we may have never seen otherwise. Well, this last year has had its ups and downs. Yes, we were thankful for the house that God had given us, but it also had some serious issues. God definitely used it to teach us even more about what to look for in houses and more sources to check including the backgrounds of those with whom you are doing business. It has also been a tough year financially. Living on just Brian's VA disability benefits a month is extremely tough if not impossible. It was tearing him down and depressing the entire family. It wasn't like he wasn't trying to provide for his family. He could not find any gainful employment that he could do regardless of both his ministry degree and education degree. Meantime his back was getting worse, and we were getting nothing but a run around from the VA doctors. We also knew that we would eventually have to move as the house we were renting foreclosed July 5th (long story). Yes, we constantly prayed to God but more times than not, I would think God only did miracles in Bible days. Is He really going to help us now?
Then this past month, everything changed. Brian has talked to several churches over the years. He has probably been considered by well over a 100 churches in some way, and for some reason that we did not understand, God blocked them, and the churches chose someone else. We couldn't understand why. What does God want us to do? How are we going to survive? About two months ago, I got called by a symphony and was offered a contract for most of the concerts for the 2011-2012 season. We thought well maybe God is going to start using me to help provide for the family instead of Brian, but then more things started happening. Brian has always applied for government positions as they opened up, but he has never been truly considered. He even applied for mail clerk at the Atlanta VA Regional Office, and they determined he did not have enough education for mail clerk! Then on August 19th, Brian received a phone call from the Atlanta Regional Office for the Department of Veterans Affairs asking him if he would come in for an interview on August 22nd. We were in total shock! He was going to actually be interviewing for a federal government position. He had interviewed with the state of GA several times this last year as well for state positions, but they never hired him which we just did not understand as he had all of the qualifications for the positions.
It was Sunday, August 21, 2011 that God started showing us that He was in control the entire time. Totally unexpected, Dr. Stanley decided to pray for all the unemployed in the congregation and that they would get jobs. I looked at Brian who was leaving the choir loft, and I was like what is God up to? I cannot describe the feeling, but when you have gone through what we have gone through ever since Brian was laid off as a teacher in Kentucky, the thought of thousands of people collectively praying that your husband gets a job the day before a big interview is overwhelming. I passed notes to Brian in the service asking him if God had told Dr. Stanley to do that prayer that day for a reason. Well, the next day Brian went into his interview. He had a great interview, but he was told that they were interviewing 100 people over the next two weeks for ten open positions and that they would not have a decision until mid-September. Many do not know this, but the following Thursday, Brian and I were actually at the Atlanta Regional office. A sweet family had offered to watch our kids so I could go with Brian to a doctor appointment at the VA hospital right next door, and after his appointment we went over to the regional office to drop off a paper for something related to his disability claim. While going through security, I got buzzed. I have no clue why. I have no metal on me. I will say the VA is much better than the TSA. Anyway, while there, I saw several people go through security who were being interviewed. It was tough because I knew all of these people were in competition with my husband for the same position. We went home that day, and I knew that if Brian was going to get this job, it would have to take an act of God. Well on Friday, August 26, 2011, a little after 5 pm, we received a phone call. The caller ID said US Government. I figured it was probably the VA calling back on something that the Washington DC office was researching on Brian's disability claim. I handed the phone to Brian. Once Brian was on the phone, I watched his eyes. I could tell that something big was happening. Then I heard Brian talking about start dates. When Brian got off the phone, the first thing he said (well maybe more like shouted) was "I'm hired!" Brian had been hired for a federal government position in just four days. That is unheard of and even Brian's vocational rehabilitation counselor was in shock when he told her the good news this past Monday. We also received all of his official paperwork this last Monday. It is official. He has his commit letter and all of his in processing paperwork. His start date is September 12th, but his actual official appointment date is September 11, 2011, and that was for us even more of God speaking directly to us.
I can remember to this day where we were September 11, 2001. Jonathan was just an infant. Brian was being medically discharged from the US Army and was actually at the post office taking an exam trying to get hired there so he would have employment right after his discharge. I had turned on the TV and thought I was watching a movie. Then I realized it was news, and just like the rest of America, my eyes were glued to the horror going on in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. I remember Brian talking to me on the phone and saying he wished they could block the discharge. He wanted to stay in the service and help (he was a chaplain assistant and had been commissioned by the NAMB to be a chaplain). He knew it was going to change America permanently and he wanted to help, but he couldn't and it hurt. Our life went on after September 11th, just like everyone else's. Brian got a job working in a warehouse for which he was thankful but did not like of course. He eventually lost it though because his injuries were affecting his ability to do the job. Then he went into substitute teaching. That is when a principal told Brian she really thought he should consider a career in special education. He was great with disabled children. We found a Christian college in Kentucky who had an outstanding masters in special education program. He went to school, and the next year, he was hired by the largest school district in KY. He had a great job, and we were starting to get settled into a normal life. We bought a house, and life was going well. Then they moved him to a different school, and things went downhill. His principal was a micro-manager and the work situation was not fun at all. We were not surprised when the county laid him as well as 70 other special education teachers off and hired new teachers from another state in some agreement with the new superintendent in 2007. God used that to pull Brian back towards ministry though. He earned an income through contract work grading state assessments while focusing all of his education and training back onto ministry but to a new people group -- those with special needs. This is something he can do whether or not he is actually employed in a ministry position. We eventually had to sell our home back to the bank actually, and Brian applied for VA vocational rehab and events were orchestrated that led to our move back to Atlanta in 2009. It is hard to imagine we have been in Atlanta for over two years without Brian gainfully employed. When I look back at it, I realize that only God could have worked this out. Not knowing how you are going to pay your utilities or how you are going to have gas to get to church is not a fun feeling, yet it was something that we went through almost every month with some exceptions. We did have the time period where Brian did get a small increase in disability and we got a year of back-pay which gave us some money to help sustain us for a few months at least. Still despite all of his education and ministry training, still no church called. Brian could no longer work in education classrooms even as a sub because he was having so many issues with his back. Then for God to do what He has done and for Brian to get a wonderful job almost ten years to do the date of when he was medically discharged from the Army is just a God-thing. Only God could orchestrate events like that. I will always look at September 11th differently now. Yes, it was a huge national tragedy, but it also triggered so much growth for our family. God over the last ten years has taught us so much, and now September 11, 2011, God has finally given us closure. He has finally answered prayer and Brian is back to serving his country. It took ten years and there were more times than I can count when giving up seemed like the best option, but God was faithful and had a plan totally coming together that only He could orchestrate.
Some have asked do we have other prayer needs and the answer is definitely yes. Brian's doctor has been working very hard to adjust his medications so that they do not make him drowsy so he can easily work without issues. Please pray that what she has done will hold him over until we can use our new insurance and hopefully get on the right medications. He has been better this last week, and I think part of it is what she has done medication wise, but I think a bigger part is God. He is enabling Brian to be able to do what He needs him to do just like when Brian has been given the physical ability to lead worship rallies with children, etc. God enables a person to do what He has called them to do. We also still need prayers for provision. We do have utilities this month that we do not know how we will pay. We do not even know how we are going to have enough money for gas for Brian to get to work until he gets paid. We also have to be out of this house by October 13th and are not sure where or how we will move. Brian does have his current disability claim awaiting final decision which would potentially give us all we need to survive until his first paycheck, but it is held up and his file has now been moved to sensitive because he is an employee, so God is in total control. There is not a thing we, or even a senator can do. If God wants to bless us that way, He will, or maybe He has something else in mind. I will probably back out of the orchestra contract for this season because I just do not have a way of having the kids watched while I am out of town and Brian is at work, but I am OK with that. There is always another year and another time -- maybe when the kids are older. Those who know me well know I do believe that children thrive with having a stay at home parent, and our family has never wanted to have a two working parent household. A couple of days of me going out of town is not a big issue, but with us having to try to move at the same time, I just cannot be gone at such a stressful time. Obviously as the last ten years have shown, God's timing and plan are always the best. We could sit and focus on the circumstances and start to question God, but our focus should be on Him. Look at what He has done, and how far He has brought us. We will make it through this month.
I hope that this blog post can help encourage you no matter what you are going through. It could be a small issue or a huge issue. Please do not give up on God. He really does care, and He really is working everything out for your good even when it does not look like it. -- Jennifer
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