Homesteading: A Woman's Journey

Job Change

Well, just when you get comfortable and think that you have things where you want them to be, the Lord has a way of waking you up.  On Valentine's Day, Joe lost his job.  The Lord's hand was involved though.  The following day, Joe drove into Oklahoma City and was hired back at CRST, the same company that we team drove with before Abbie was born.  Currently, he is in orientation which takes a week to complete. 

This is going to bring with it many new blessings, both is the way of financial security but also wonderful opportunities for the Lord to grow us individually, as a couple, and as a family.  The hardest struggle will be the separation.  Joe will be gone 4 weeks at a time, then have 6 days off.  That will be the normal schedule from here on out.  When we were team driving, we loved the schedule.  We also loved the fact that we could take the days off wherever we wanted.  If we wanted to visit with family members that lived far from us, we could do that.  If we wanted to treat the days off like a vacation in another part of the country, we could do that too.  The best part was seeing the country and working along side each other.  We spent literally every moment of every day together.  What a wonderful gift that was.  During that time, we were able to build the foundation of our relationship.  We talked about everything - especially the issues that are normally the ones that can cause problems in a relationship, such as money and our ideas about raising children.

This time though, Joe will be a Lead Driver, training new drivers who need a month of on-the-job training.  He will train the driver for 4 weeks, then after Joe's time off, he will get another new trainee.  I know that Joe loves training new drivers.  He has done it before.  He also has the patience for it, something I saw first hand when he and I drove together.  When we first started driving together 3 months after I started truck driving, Joe had to help teach me how to back the truck & 53' dry van trailer to a dock.  My trainer that I had when I was first hired didn't know how to back the truck very well as her husband had always backed the truck for her.  I knew the basics of how to do it, just needed the practice. Many times, Joe and I would spend our down time between loads practicing backing up the truck at truck stops during the day when they were not as busy.  Joe would stand on the ground and guide me as needed.  Never losing patience or getting annoyed.  When I would get the truck parked, he would always tell me how great I did and then offer any suggestions I may need to make it easier next time.  Then I would pull the truck & trailer out and do it again, over an over until I had done it succesfully several times in a row.  Not because Joe would nag at me to keep trying it, but because he was so proud of my efforts that I wanted to improve not only for me but to make Joe proud.  Any driver that Joe trains is a blessed and lucky man.

In a way, the method of how Joe taught me to back & dock the truck reminds me of the way things can be with our Lord.  The Lord is patient and gives us numerous opportunities to learn the things we need to know.  Once we have learned the new lesson we were given, the Lord showers us with a feeling of warmth and accomplishment.  He blesses us.  When we feel the Lord's love and compassion in our lives, it drives us to try harder to be the person the Lord knows that we can be.  We continue trying hard because we want to please our Lord who is so gracious to us in our lives. 

I am so proud of Joe.  He didn't let the job loss get to him. He just came home, enjoyed a night at home, then got busy immediately the next morning to get another job.  This change will be hard emotionally on us both.  We had hoped that he could have a trucking job that would both meet our family's needs and still allow him alot of time at home.  It wasn't in the Lord's plan though.  At least not at this time.  Joe is so happy about the fact that when he has the 6 days off, he will be home long enough to actually be able to get work here accomplished.  That is something that has been difficult.  He would come home tired late riday night or on Saturday morning, then have 1 day to get everything done.  Especially on weeks we were able to go to church.  Having nearly a week off at a time will be a blessing. 

We definately have an adjustment period ahead of us.  The hardest time will be the weekends since that was when he was always home before.  I am goign to be working as hard as I can to get the homestead running and keep things going here while Joe is gone.  First, is getting the pens and chicken coop built.  Then also the garden planted.  I have about 60 varieties of seed that will be planted this year.  Mostly vegetables, but also a herb garden.  If possible, I want to get some berries planted also.  Since Abbie and I are eating a vegetarian diet, all the produce will be a blessing.   Abbie does eat meat once in a while, but only when Joe is home. 

I am so grateful and blessed that the Lord helped me to see the changes that I needed to make in my diet.  Since those changes were made, I am no longer having to use a cane or walker and my pain from the fibromyalgia is gone.  The timing of this is such a testiment to the Lord having His hand in our lives.  Within weeks of my health improving, the job change is taking place.  Had my health and mobility still been the way it was, Joe would not have gone back to the OTR trucking. 

Although there are definately some tears at the idea of being alone so much, I am trying to keep a quote that I read in the forefront of my mind.  "The Lord's will won't ever take you where His grace cannot sustain you."   We don't know yet what reason the Lord has for this change in our lives, but we know that the Lord is Sovereign and is perfect.  He will guide us where He needs us to be.  If that means we must spend a season of our lives with Joe working away from home like this, then that is okay.  Yes, there will be tears and at times loneliness.  But the Lord will see us through.  I have faith in the Lord and His guidance.  Whatever He has in store for us will in the end be a far greater blessing in our lives than anything we could have done on our own.

I love you

08:00, Tuesday, February 20, 2007 .. Posted by Oklahoma Tomcat

Hon, I thank you so much for the things you say about me but I couldn't do it without your faith. It is witten that marriage is for the glory of God. I always new this but never understood or felt it until you entered my life. Your strong faith in the Lord and trust in me is what gives me faith and trust. I actually feel like I have grown closer to God since we met. It is amazing how the Lord works. You are truely the greatest gift God has given me. I love you so much. Take care and God Bless.

Love,
Your Beloved Husband,
The Oklahoma Tomcat

praise God!

08:52, Wednesday, February 21, 2007 .. Posted by deedee06

Paula, I'm thanking God for revealing to you the dietary changes that needed to be made. Praise God for improved health!
You attitude about your husband's job change is so admirable and godly. I can just imagine the strength of his witness as he patiently teaches newer truckers to improve their skills.
Blessings from the Big Sky Country.......Denise (prairiemom)

I'm so glad for you

01:47, Wednesday, February 21, 2007 .. Posted by Sara

I'm so glad to hear that you were able to make peace with this. My husband got laid off and we have been making big changes over the last several months. It is a big adjustment, but when you put the Lord first, he'll always be there to guide you, through good and bad. Be blessed.

Sara

Once again proud

09:07, Friday, February 23, 2007 .. Posted by meme21713

Praise God that Joe found a job so quickly...I know there will be long days with out him around but the Lord will keep him safe and you busy....Joe will again be "PROUD" of you for all that you will get done while he is away, just as he was while teaching you to back up that truck.....God keep you safe and many blessings I pray to go your way....Debbie