Blind Faith

Have you ever been asked to do something that you just were not sure about? Maybe you didn't know how to do it or lacked the skills to complete the task. Or maybe you are scared and unsure about it.  Blind faith can be very scary but it wouldn't be faith if you knew the outcome and didn't have a few reservations about taking the step.

Jerry and I walked out in blind faith about five months ago. Jerry had been working for a company just shy of seven years but we had been feeling the leading for him to leave for almost 18 months. We had ignored the leading that we were feeling for a long time because the timing was never right. Jerry had a very good salary where he was, good benefits, and was comfortable in the job... he was good at what he did.  We could not be without insurance because of Emma's medical issues & our budget could not afford a large pay cut, needless to say trying to change jobs was not ideal. In May of this year it became obvious that we could no longer put off what we knew must be done so we started the job hunt.

Shortly into the hunt Jerry had a contact that was able to get Jerry's foot in the door with a great company.  Yet again, the timing was not ideal. I was entering into the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy with Jensen, the pay was almost $15,000 less than what he was making at that time, and insurance benefits would not pick us up until months after the baby was born.  Jerry and I prayed about and agreed that he should at least have an interview. They loved Jerry and offered him the job on the spot so now the ball was in our court. So Jerry asked them if he could have a few days to get back with them so that we could pray about it. We prayed about it for several days already knowing what we were to do but also thinking maybe we missed God. How can God be leading us to leave this job? We had a baby on the way.

Well Jerry did take the job but had to pass several tests before it became official. So while Jerry was prepping for all of the test he remained with the other company.  During this time anything that could go wrong did. We had 3 vehicles at the time but one of them needed a costly repair so we were selling it, the 2nd vehicle had started acting up regularly so we were planning on using the money from the selling of the 1st car to repair it.  Things started getting crazy with Emma and I was getting closer to delivery. But we remained steady and continued to prepare for the job change.  We were praying that Jensen would arrive while Jerry was still at his job so that insurance would cover it since all of our deductibles were met.

During all of this Jerry receives a call from the hiring manager at his new company telling him they need him sooner than later and to gets everything in order to start his new job asap. So on July 25th Jerry started his new job. Jensen still was not here, we had just sold the 1st vehicle only to find out that the 2nd vehicle was beyond repair and need to be sold. We proceeded to sell the 2nd vehicle for whatever we could get out of it and trusted that God would handle the rest.

So here we are with one vehicle, a baby due any day, and a salary that is $15,000 less then before. Talk about walking in faith.  Jensen arrives August 4th without any issues and all seems well with the world until that night at least.  We were informed that night that we had no insurance coverage. We had taken steps to avoid the drop in coverage before Jerry left his previous employer so we were caught off guard by this news. Then the week after Jensen arrived Jerry's final paycheck did not arrive & the company had no plans of paying him... he left on good terms but his direct boss was shady. Here we are with a one week old, no insurance, and now little to no money.  I was flipping out but had enough peace to know that God had led us here so He would handle it. 

We had postponed buying a replacement vehicle with the monies we had made off of the selling of the other two vehicles so we did have money in savings.  We lived off of that money and I believe wholeheartedly that God ordained that because if we had proceeded with the purchase of another vehicle we would have been in a very bad situation.  The money we had in savings almost matched the amount that Jerry would have received from his final paycheck. Also by Jerry taking this new job the drop in income as well as the loss of insurance allowed us to receive TennCare for Emma and all of the boys. This was a big deal because Emma's care is costly & this coverage would cover her 100%; we had never qualified for it before so this was a very big deal.

Jerry taking this new job was very scary but the benefits to our family, our marriage, and our future have outweighed the risks monumentiously.  We have found out recently through friends at Jerry's previous job that things have only gotten worse there, several people have been fired and it doesn't look like it will be getting any better. Looking back on all that has happened let's me know that God knew what he was doing even if we didn't.  We have less money, one vehicle, and insurance that didn't become effective until just recently but we have more peace, joy and appreciation than ever before. 

I was without insurance when Jensen arrived and as those bills arrive I have to remind myself yet again that God's handling it.  The step that we took in blind faith has opened up new doors for both Jerry and myself.  We are finding new ways to make ends meet, rearranging financial priorities, and juggling the budget cuts in creative ways.  I have started making all natural chemical & metal free laundry detergent that I sell & we make one car work for us as best we can. 

Let me end by saying, blind faith is scary but it is worth it. If God is leading you to take a step of faith don't hesitate, jump on out there and watch His grace & provision catch you...  Praying for you guys today.

Helena