Change....Part 1

Ok, this is so cool and shows how God works in our lives.

I really don't like change, I mean I'll change the style of my hair even the color of it, I'm always rearranging my furniture, but Big Change totally rocks my world, I will fight it and even try and hide from it. All the time forgetting to pray about it, when I realize my mistake and spend time in prayer I always given some sort of peace about the change coming my way!

So, for the majority of my married life I was a stay at home mom. I lived in my safe, secure little world and was very happy there. Mike worked at Lockheed Martin and while he wasn't making the"big bucks' he did make enough so, I could stay at home with our 4 daughters. In 1994 I was pregnant with our youngest daughter Sarah and Mike was worried that he was going to be laid off. Luckily he wasn't but, the company was starting to do some major downsizing. They even moved his entire area to Alabama, and relocating there was not an option.

Mike came home one day in 1999 and said Shawnie I've been doing alot of praying and soul searching and I have to make plans for our future, because I know I'm going to be 50, laid off, will lose my retirement, and at that age be limited to what/where I can start over. So, I'm going to go back to school to be a Police Officer. Well he could have knock me over with a feather from shock. I mean I knew he had been worried about the lay offs {I was hiding my head in the sand over it}. I fought this decision big time, I mean how dare he take me out of my safe little secure world and make such a drastic change!!! I was digging my heels in, until he said "Shawnie....God is leading me to do this, you have to trust me and him, I'm doing this to protect our future".

So, he worked full time during the day and went to school at night for nearly a year. Meanwhile, I followed our youngest daughter Sarah to Preschool one day and stayed {haha}. They actually had a part time spot open and I took it, after all it was only part time. I was there so much of the time anyway, and it still allowed me to basically be a stay at home mom. Mike finished the academy, passed his state boards and was actually hired before graduating. Here comes the grandaddy of all changes, it's time for him to leave Lockheed, leaving behind a decent income, great insurance {we only paid $50/mo. for family ins} and my safe, secure little world AND he tells me to make up for the drastic change in income I need to go to work full time...WHAT???!!!

Here's where it really gets good, after pitching a humongous hissy fit, Mike again says Shawnie I have prayed so long about this, God is going to provide for us you have to trust me,and him! This change will protect us for the future. Ok.....he starts his new job, loves it! The Director at the Preschool decides to leave and recommended me to take her position, with that comes a little more pay, year round work, and the flexibility of taking my younger girls to school and picking them up each day!

This is where I get goose bumps every time I give this testimony. Ten years ago this month Mike left Lockheed Martin after 19 years, he was vested with the company, has a 401k plan with them, and has a retirement package coming from them, he is also now vested with the City and will have retirement benefits from them as well when he retires. On October 18th Mike will turn 50 and everyone that worked under Mike, work with or worked above him at Lockheed have now been laid off, some with their retirement and some without. With today's economy, so many unemployed, and with us sending one to college this year and one more in 3 years I'm so grateful my husband trusted in God, heard his word and encouraged me to trust them both.

Change is good....but, God is Great!!