His sore knee was giving him grief. Bills
gushed in faster than the money to pay them. Sure, the physical therapy helped
and seemed to stave off surgery, yet hobbling around and trying to get work
accomplished wasn’t happening. And then, he and I spoke. Our words heated.
Perspectives were lost. Tempers exploded.
And I hit the road. Not, as in leaving my
husband, but rather in searching for a job. We’d worked together in his piano
restoration business at that point for thirteen years, but his recent injury,
coupled with tightening economical changes nation wide, constricted us both as
if we wore chock collars around our necks, rubbing sore at whatever harmony
we’d shared.
Desperate, I drove off and willed the tears
to stay away. The last I knew it wasn’t really a good idea to seek employment
with red-stained eyes. Since it was a Sunday afternoon and last minute, the
pickings were indeed slim. I applied to a little privately owned deli whose
owner seemed more interested in talking me out of taking the job.
Fortuitously—or not, I now wonder—that was a good thing. Not only did the
business fold, but also the drive up and down those back hills would have
proved awful in the winter.
The second place was a national chain restaurant.
Years ago I’d worked in the food “industry” and told myself never-again, but as
I said, I was desperate. The next day they called me back for an interview.
Here I am, ten years later.
This company goes by the motto that it’s an
everyday oasis, for both its patrons and workers. Indeed, it was. I worked
myself up in position with decent pay increments considering the type of work,
and brought home needed benefits that my self-employed husband no longer had to
struggle paying from his pocket.
Looking back, I clearly see that this
wasn’t a mere coincidence. I don’t believe for a minute that God purposely
injured my husband, nor created a bad economy (shortly after I was hired the US
saw a major economic crisis; many people lost jobs and were job searching right
after I secured mine). People have commented to me that they’ve seen positive
changes in me through these past ten years: I’ve come out of my shy shell some,
I’m holding up my head higher in self-respect, I’ve gained more respect from my
husband, and have added a more positive and kind atmosphere to the café’s
overall image.
Will I stay at this place forever and ever?
Do I dare chance dicing up life by looking elsewhere or making a major change
in my life, especially with a debut novel freshly out?
Change is scary; the unknown lurks like a
monster at times. Yet. Oh, the wonderful surprises God has time and time again
blessed me with.
While I can count on life circumstances to
perpetually change, for people to come and go in my life, for the given of
uncertainty to rule, making me at times hold my breath in wonder, I know one
conviction that I can count on.
God will lead me to the place where He
wants me to be and when He wants me to be there, and that’s because He loves
me.
And don’t forget for a second that He loves
you.
~*~
Christine here: My guest today is a personal friend of mine that I met at an ACFW conference way back in 2009 I think. Elaine and I have encouraged each other over the years to not give up on our dream of writing. It's such a joy for me to share with you Elaine Stock's debut novel Always With You.
ABOUT ELAINE STOCK:
A former Brooklyn gal, Elaine Stock lives in the Northeast with her husband where she enjoys spring, summer, autumn,
website: www.elainestock.com
Everyone’s Story blog: www.elainestock.com/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JYAwNy
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PfRyXX
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