A lot has happened around here in a short amount of time. Two weeks ago today, Greg was laid off of his job. It was unexpected, and Greg was very upset.
We can say with complete honesty now that it is VERY CLEAR that God is in this. He wasn't surprised. One of the first things Greg told me when he came home in tears was, "It hurts so bad, but, for some reason, I feel relieved, like a burden is lifted." This kind of peace only comes from the Prince of Peace.
Not surprisingly, we have had a period of extreme growth these last couple of weeks. We are constantly sharing with each other what we have been learning and reading, and it seems like God is growing us through a theme of "pruning". Upon reading John 15, we know that we are just the branches getting our livlihood from the Vine. He has an end result in mind, for us to bear fruit and ultimately be conformed into the likeness of His Son (Rom. 8:29). In this, we are showing ourselves to be His disciples. It all goes back to God's ultimate goal for us...to bring Him glory! We are being continually pruned in order to produce a greater crop of fruit for HIM! This pruning is getting rid of any dead works or works that just don't contribute to God's intended image for us.
God is using His Word and these circumstances to shape us into His image. We know it's not pleasant right now, but we have faith that we will experience ABUNDANT JOY as a result and through the process itself! (James 1:2-4, John 15:11) Is it scary? Absolutely. We have no idea where we will be even one week from now. But, we are trusting in God's goodness and provision during this time.
Also, we have had many tell us that they had been praying for us before this, and one person in particular was compelled to pray for Greg and his work before any of this even happened. In fact, she went to a mutual friend the day after and asked what was going on with Greg's work. She had no idea, but the Spirit had prompted her to pray for Greg and his work. See? His hand is all over this, and we are grateful for our friends that have rallied around us, prayed for us and encouraged us during this time.
So, what's next? We don't know! All we know is that we are growing, learning and seeking His guidance for our next step. Greg has his resume out all over the country. There really are plenty of options for dentists right now (especially experienced dentists), which is a huge blessing. We are just trying to figure out where we want to be and where God wants to use us.
Please pray for us as we seek direction for our family and pray for Greg's discernment as he seeks out many possible job leads. Thank you!
Alissa + Boys
Luke Gregory
Born March 28, 2007
4.5 Years Old!
Imaginitive, Creative, Thoughtful
Jack Ryan
Born December 31, 2008
2.5 Years Old!
Passionate, Silly, Cuddly
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4 comments:
Oh, Alissa. You explained so well where you are in this journey, and it all points to trust in the Lord. Beautiful trust. What an encouragement your faith is. To SO many, I know.
I'll definitely pray for you guys. It is so encouraging to hear your story - I went through something similar before dental school and this is a good reminder of the lessons we learned and are still learning from the Lord.
Love you guys. I don't know if you remember this, but 7 years ago when I was pregnant with Maddie, Michael went through this very same thing. I know the emotions you are experiencing. God opened up a door for us that allowed both of us to work from home and be with Maddie her first 2 years of life. Such a blessing. I know you guys are faithful, and I know from experience it is terrifying at times to step out in faith...or to be forced out in faith. But, God's timing is always perfect and we will be victorious because "he has overcome". Still praying. Keep us posted.
We will be praying for y'all! Please keep us updated on how things are going and can continue to pray more specifically!
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