Started the day feeling a bit uneasy but ended the day in peace!

Since we were visiting Ken's sisters I have been doing a lot of thinking about my siblings.  This picture is from 1973.  It is one of the few pictures of us together like this. I really miss my birth family.  During the last years that my mom was alive, I visited her in Minnesota at least 3 times a year.  And during those visits I usually saw both of my sisters and one of my brothers.  After my sister Karen died in 2007 and we sort of lost touch with her family, my mom often spoke about her fear that we would all lose touch and never see each other after she was gone.   Unfortunately, that has proven to be true.  I keep in pretty close touch with my sister Julie.  We talk fairly often.  And Julie was actually here for her granddaughter's college graduation last year.  Since this has come up, I know that this is something that I need to be thinking about some more. And I will be considering what I might need to do to change this situation!

I was thinking about that high school time for other reasons also.   Today I spent some time applying for some part time jobs.  I was thinking back on other times when I have been job hunting.  Quite honestly, I have been working most of my life.  I started babysitting when I was 13 and in 8th grade.  I had several regular clients and spent most weekends sitting.  I was earning $.50 an hour.  And that was good money.  When I turned 15 I was offered a job at the IGA grocery store.  I never actually applied, the manager just stopped me in the store and asked if I wanted a job.  My brother had been working there, so they knew my family.  By the time I was 17, I had gotten a job working at the Walgreens.  They had just started being open until midnight and I wanted more hours.  For a college kid, this sounded really good.  After some time off when I had been sick with mono, I happened to see an ad in the local paper for a full time secretarial job in the Industrial Park.  I called, got an interview, and was hired on the spot.  I worked at that job for 5 years.  The only reason I left that job was because Ken and I bought our house.  While we were applying for our mortgage, the loan officer offered me a job as a loan processor (making almost twice what I had been making).  I spent 15 years working in mortgage banking, taking just a bit of time off when my kids were born.

Quite honestly, I have not really applied for many jobs.....that is until this year.  It seems that I have sent out lots of applications and have not gotten any calls.  I have also applied in person for several jobs, and so far, have not gotten an interview.  But I have to look back on my job history and know that Jesus has been in charge of my jobs and what I am doing and where I am working.  This is one of those times when you need great patience and faith to wait.

Today I was talking to a friend about a revelation I had last night.  You know when people are told to "just see yourself joyful" or "just speak the truth about who you are in Jesus".  Well, the truth is that when you are faced with depression or difficulties it is NOT possible to "just" do these things.  WE CAN NOT DO ANYTHING!  Only Jesus can do these things.  It seemed so clear to me that what we need to do is to stop talking about ourselves and start talking about Jesus and who he is and what he has done.  As we praise and talk about Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to work out all of these things IN us. That is how we are strong in Jesus when we are weak.  So with that in mind, I am going to start talking about Jesus who knows exactly what Ken and I need.  And remember his faithfulness and his provision.  Even as I type those words, I am feeling more patience and greater faith to believe that He will provide my job. What a great lesson for me. So thanks to nudges to remember Jesus' faithfulness to me in the past during job searches, and the reminder to praise HIM for all that he is and does, I am feeling more peaceful and have greater faith to believe that I will find the exact right job.

Jesus, thank you so much for bringing me through today.  I love how you work in my life and bring reminders from the past, along with Holy Spirit revelation to transform a stressful day into a peaceful evening.  Thank you for my family and keeping them in the forefront of my mind.  Holy Spirit, help us all to hang on to the things your have sown into our families and keep us from forgetting those now distant from us.  Jesus, keep us out of busyness and draw us closer to you. Amen