10.16.09 ~ It's an Absolute Miracle ...

After we spent a week in Salt Lake, we drove back home and I was dreading the fact that I would soon have to decide whether or not I’d return to work while Nate was unemployed. He had an interview set up for the next day we got back to Colorado, but we weren’t expecting to hear back from them soon. Usually when Nate had interviewed in the past, it was a one-week or two-week deal before finding out whether or not he got the job. That is part of the miracle … Anyway, so he has the interview, and he thinks it went really well … and then the next day, I told my boss that I would have a decision by then to let him know whether I’d be coming back to work or not. So I went in to Edward Jones and spoke with my boss about it, and still, even up to that point, I was totally undecided as to what I’m going to do … and as I was discussing several options of what I could do to continue working while Nate is unemployed, and still be happy, I had this huge impression to just go with my heart – and that was to stay home with Connor. I told my boss with tears in my eyes that I just couldn’t leave him, even for part of the day, and that I felt in my heart that I needed to be home with him. My boss took it okay – he didn’t want me to leave (which is a compliment) – and we set some things in place to give my two-week-notice.

So as I’m driving back from that ordeal, I am so happy that I decided to do what’s best for me to be truly happy and for our family’s well-being, but at the same time, I’m completely scared about what will happen in the future with Nate being out of a job. I came home and told Nate about what happened, and he felt the same way – he was happy that I will be happy, but scared that we won’t have a steady stream of income anymore.

And this is where the miracle happens … I like to think of it as a “tender mercy” from the Lord … an hour later after I came home that day and told Nate I would no longer be working at Edward Jones, Nate gets a phone call. He gets offered a job to work at Spicer Jeffries as an auditor! And turns out, the location is closer to our home, he won’t be traveling nearly as much as his last job, and he is getting paid a bit more in his salary than the previous job! After Nate got off the phone, we looked at each other, just completely shocked, with huge smiles on our face. I started to cry, and we hugged and kissed, and just took in that wonderful moment. I still can’t believe the timing … how could this not have been a blessing from the Lord? It was so amazing that it increased my belief in this gospel and increased my faith in the Lord ten fold – right on the spot! After almost 5 months of Nate being unemployed, he ends up getting a job right on the same day I decide to be a stay-at-home mom and my maternity leave ends in the next couple of days. For me personally, I felt like I had been blessed immediately for making the right decision to stay home – even though it was the harder decision to make at the time. The Lord does work in mysterious ways, but this experience reaffirmed to me that the Lord does answer our prayers! My prayer was answered. Never have I wanted anything more than to be a mom and to be able to take care of my family and home 24/7. And now God gave me that opportunity and Nate and I both KNOW that this was a direct blessing from Him.

So after the shock wore off a bit, Nate and I knelt down and said a prayer of gratitude together. My mom reminded me of the fact that we so quickly ask Heavenly Father for answers and for help … but we often times forget to give a prayer of gratitude once we have received those answers or help! I, of course, cried like a baby through the whole prayer – just completely overwhelmed with what had just happened and I felt the Spirit so strongly. I know this gospel is true and I know that God exists! I know that He loves each and every one of us individually – He knows our needs and wants, and He knows what is right for us. This all happened on His timetable, and looking back, it was such a great blessing for Nate to be able to spend so much time with Connor when he was born. I was able to receive so much help having Nate home with me those first 5 ½ weeks of Connor’s life, and we have also been blessed in the fact that we have been humbled, and we have grown closer as husband and wife because of going through this hardship together. God has a plan for us and I was reminded through all of this that we just need to have faith in Him – to never doubt and to never fear, but move forward with faith in knowing that everything will be okay if we do what we are supposed to do to be happy in life. I love this gospel and am just so grateful. I am so grateful that I am now a mom, and that Nate is a dad (he is such a sweet father to Connor) … Connor was our “miracle baby,” and now he has brought more joy into our lives than we ever could have imagined! A friend of mine reminded me when she said, “babies bring blessings,” and how true that is! We are so blessed to have him in our life!