while i became very good at my job, i never truly loved it. i felt pigeon-holed because no one else was ever in the pipeline to replace me, and working with corporate people on the topic of finance was always very frustrating. i had no interest in our profit margins, and especially not in constantly tracking my forecast to budget variance, my actual to contract budget variance, or any other variance my company could come up with. i had gotten into this field to work and assist people, but now i was separated from the very people i was trying to help.
i became very unhappy about 6 years into my job, but didn't know what i wanted to do. i aimlessly applied for jobs, but with a zeal for getting out of my current job. but God had other plans for me- i never heard back from another job and still didn't feel a calling in any particular direction. i decided to get a life coach, and met my pastor's wife of our very large church. together we did some soul searching and it was revealed to me that i had a passion to work in ministry. who would have thought!? of course, I'm a pastor's kid, but ministry is a tough life and i hadn't seen this coming. through my life coaching, i became connected to a bunch of ministries- the food pantry, budget coaching, and my life coach's very own website. while none of these were a new job, they gave me an outlet and something else to focus on besides my lackluster job. most importantly, i developed a strong relationship with a great woman of God who always sought to connect me to people and opportunities with the hopes of finding new employment.
nearly a year after we met, our pastor and wife started a new church. we left our old church and began attending our baby church, still in it's infancy and without staff. while i still didn't know where my career was headed, i was hoping i could be of some help. i volunteered my services to help in any way, even bookkeeping. within a few months i was working part time, in addition to my 40 hour a week regular job. but i loved it! i knew i was paying it forward if another opportunity ever came about to work at the church
when i found out we were expecting Little Wood, i decided almost immediately that i would leave my job after maternity leave if i could. i desperately needed a change, but wanted to take advantage of all my hard work and time and get the maternity leave i deserved. i didn't know if that meant working for the church or getting a new job all together, but i knew this was my window. i prayed regularly for a job that would allow me to spend more time with my family and maybe even work from home to be with my LW. through everything, i wasn't worried and had a supreme peace that God would answer my many prayers.
once Olivia was born i just knew i could not leave her every day. my entire leave, i didn't think about work one second, and about the only thing i missed were the people. i continued to pray that things would work out with the church until 10 days before i was supposed to return to my job. as i knew he would, God answered my year long prayer and i was able to take a job with the church! it was bittersweet resigning from my job where i had spent the last 8 years of my life. bittersweet, yet time.
i am so excited for our future and the BLESSING it is to be able to work from home (even though it's very hard!) so i can be with my LW. i intend to make the most of it, even if it means waking up at 6am to get my work in so i can then be a momma. we have a ton of changes ahead of us- Dave starting a new job in September, us finally moving out of our apartment complex after 8 long years, and watching Olivia grow up. the husband is a little nervous, what with all the change. but Olivia and are i very excited!
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