I have become a firm believer in what Garth Brooks says in his song, Unanswered Prayers…”Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” I know it’s true, and I can recollect times in my life when, in retrospect, I am glad that God chose not to give me the answer I wanted, but instead blessed me in even greater, unimaginable ways.
I sit today, not with unanswered prayers, but finally an answer.
I knew that taking more than a month off from work would be difficult, and I did worry about how my boss would react when I told her. Surprisingly, she was SO supportive and it reminded me just how much I have been blessed to work at that school with those people; however, she did not know how it would affect me being able to keep my job, especially in the midst of a tax referendum, budget crisis, and the possibility of losing 30 teachers district-wide. I have been praying for the past several weeks that God would simply show me the way and give me the strength to follow it. I knew that no matter what, I would be going back to Sudan and Uganda this summer, and I also know that His way is always SO much better than my own.
This morning, my principal summoned me to his office and delivered the news: central administration denied my request for a leave of absence (school policy only allows for medical, family, and maternity leaves). This means that I will have to resign from my position in order to leave in May, and due to MORE budget cuts to education in Indiana (I know, how is that even possible?), there may or may not even be a position open for me in the fall. It is certainly not the answer I had hoped for, but I know that it was God answering my prayers that He make His path clear to me.
I was surprised at my own reaction as I sat in my principal’s office…I felt the most satisfying peace wash over me. I am queen of worrying and trying so hard to control every situation that I am in (Type A personality)…but I know that this is God’s plan for me. It will be difficult to leave a job that I have LOVED, but God refines us through the fire. So, I want to take this time to praise HIM, the Lord God Almighty, for giving me an answer and for giving me strength to pursue His will. Though I will miss my students TERRIBLY when I leave in May and especially if I don’t return to the high school next year, I know that He will continue to bless me in many ways…above and beyond what my human mind can imagine!
P.S. This is a completely separate issue from my ambiguous post, The Storm. I’ll share more about that later…but God has definitely provided powerfully in that situation, as well! Seriously, HE IS AWESOME!!!
