A New Journey


Today a journey has begun.  I am officially on Family Medical Leave from my job.

Instead of focusing on the “Why?” of being off work, I am focusing on the “What am I going to do with this precious time?

Twelve weeks seems like a long time, but it’s really not.  I have been on this earth for 1,809 weeks, so twelve is a drop in a hat.  This time is a gift, really; given to me by my employer.  A little over a month ago, I walked into my supervisor’s office with my resignation in hand.  I cried; balled really.  This wasn’t an easy decision; I had struggled with it for months.  I’d worked so hard to build a career I could be proud of, but the simple truth was: I could no longer balance my home and work lives and be effective and sufficient at both.  So I stopped and thought “What’s more important?”

My family.  Hands down.

My supervisor suggested I take this leave instead of quitting.  And all the ducks lined up in a neat little row and quacked in my favor.
It wasn’t long before I had what my pastor called ‘a moment of clarity’ and suddenly I wasn’t worried about how the bills would be paid while I didn’t work.  I wasn’t worried how my family would weather this storm of change coming toward us like a freight train.  It all made sense.  The feeling I had is indescribable. 

I have several children: 4 who live with me, 2 who do not.  They are everything to me.  While I cannot undo what has happened in the past, I can change today and brighten tomorrow.
 
Learn from yesterday.
Live for today.
Dream of tomorrow.

Now is the time that I take back my family, guide and teach them. 
How am I doing this?  How can I afford to not work?  What will I teach my family?  How will I brighten their future?

Faith is believing in the unseen, the unknown.

Hope is believing something good will come out of something bad.  

Love is what you do with your family, unconditionally.

I have placed my Faith in the Lord, knowing He will see us through, He will provide, He will give me the words and direction and I need to strengthen my family.

I have Hope that my family will grow in their Faith and reliance on the Lord in their day to day struggles.

I will love my husband and my children, no matter how much anger they draw up inside me as we face struggles head on.  I love each of them for who they are right now, and there is nothing they can do to make me love them more and nothing they can do to make me love them less.  My children are a gift from God, even if I didn’t give birth to them.  It is my responsibility to prepare them for life’s trials, and I will do this out of love.

So will you follow me in this journey?  

I am making a commitment to blog more frequently, so I can share my journey.  It plans to be a spiritual one, one that will reference the Word of the Lord, and my faith in it and how I teach it to my children.   

I am excited about this chapter in my life.  I hope you are too.     

Comments