Two Weeks Notice

Yep, God answers prayer. He may be slower at it then we want him to be...But eventually...He'll show up. And always in a way we never expected. I love him!

I have worked at a small rural hospital since I graduated from nursing school in 2009. It seems that the trend for nurses was growing...just not in our area. I found a job 45 miles from home. Thank the Good Lord that I only work three days a week!! I have honed in on some nursing skills while there, got my confidence, and learned a few million things! I've made some good friends, laughed, cried, held dying patients hands, been peed on, puked on (I'll save that story for another day because it was good!), and lost some coworkers to cancer. It has been a whirlwind of two and half years...But...

I hated my drive. 45 miles. One hour. Twice a day for three days a week. I wouldn't see my kids for two whole days, because usually I worked back to back days. It's been torture. My prayer journal has "my job" written in it every.single.day that I have managed to write in it. No lie. Every. Single. Day! I hated going to work. Okay, I didn't hate it, but I hated the commute, the long days, the tired feet, and the emotional strain it has all taken on me. I'm sleep deprived by the time my day off comes, I won't do a darn thing at home all day long. It just isn't healthy. Not to mention how much I missed my husband and kids.

My prayer was to be done with work by Christmas. I had been praying for that for a while now. Christmas - no more long commute. Okay, that could happen right?

Right.

Well...You know when you're not really looking, when you stop caring then BAM. It smacks you in the face? I gave up on being done with my job by Christmas long about Thanksgiving. You see, I had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year. I just couldn't bear to miss all of that excitement two days in a row. I stopped praying to be done, because honestly, I didn't think it'd happen.

One Sunday night my mom calls me. Knowing I wanted to leave my little hospital, the drive, and the exhaustion, she always is on the look out for a job for me. She called me frantically. There's jobs posted for ***** (name left out, but another small, rural hospital ten minutes from my house.)

Me: "I'm out of printer ink. Can you send my resume tomorrow?"

Mom: "I'll do you one better, I'll fax it."

Yippee! Only, I didn't hang on to the hope of going there, because well, to be honest, I wasn't thrilled about the idea. I knew that I'd be giving up some things at my current job. I wasn't quite ready for that. We're union. Don't shoot! Our union works out well for us. I always defend it. I'm a law abiding, rule following citizen. But the union has saved my butt a few times. I liked it.

Anway!

Four days before Christmas ***** called. Asking for an interview on Thursday, which happened to be my day off. Of course I'd come in!

And I did. Interviewed. Left. Had lunch with my dad and drove home praying about what to do. I celebrated that weekend...actually I got Christmas off. We celebrated Monday too - just for fun! And by Tuesday the call came..."We'd like to offer you the position at this pay rate."

AHEM? What? That pay rate. I almost chocked. Five dollars less than what I'm making now. Five dollars adds up let me tell ya!

I called my husband. My mother. Prayed. And questioned myself and this decision. I knew. I so knew in my heart what to do. That my friends is my good friend Jesus.

Because wouldn't you know...after you figured the rate of insurance, union dues, and dental insurance that I pay per pay period, I will end up missing a whole $55. Yep, $55. That is it. So then I thought more (because I think waaayyy too much) and guess what? My husbands job reimburses us for our insurance. So guess who ends up on top? Yeah, that'd be us. And thats before the $250 plus spent on gas per month!

Praise God!

I will be saying my goodbyes this week. I'm honestly ready for a new start. A FRESH start. I'm ready...Plus, this is God working! Amen! It was all in his hands, I gave it up to him. And he released me!

Have you ever just given something to God and let him run with it?

Love,

Julie