A year ago was a Lifetime ago

Last year on this day our lives changed. We didn't know at the time, but God had some really great growing stuff planned for us and it all started last year exactly one week after Thanksgiving.

Even now, it's hard to think about the raw emotions that that day brought, but without that day happening, we would not be where we are today. Last year on this day, Jonathan lost his job. A year ago today the weight of the world was on our shoulders. How would we pay bills? How would we do Christmas? Who feels like celebrating a holiday when life looks so dark? Why would God let this happen to us? It was the hardest day I think we've ever been through. I remember just holding Jonathan. It was a hard day.

I started blogging not long after that because I had so many emotions and I didn't know what to do with them other than get them out. I had never been into journaling, so I thought maybe I would actually keep up with blogging.

Through those long, very dark days, we grew stronger as a couple and we grew closer to God. Somehow we were able to keep our heads up because of the strength that God gave us. We knew that He allowed this to happen and that He had plans for us and we just needed to follow Him.

So, we followed blindly. We had a great support system of friends and family through that time. I really think that unless you have actually been through losing a job, you don't understand how devastating it is and how how much you need others support and comfort.

After literally months of being told he was too qualified to even interview or get called back for any job, he finally got a call. It was for a temp job, but we were thrilled! It is nearly impossible to work for the University of Kentucky unless you know someone on the "inside", so when a temp job came open in the accounting department Jonathan jumped at the chance! Now, there is no way that he would have ever quit his job at the bank to take a temp job (that's just too far out on a limp than we would ever go), so we knew that God had this in His plans. Without that temp job, he would have never met the people necessary to have access to the permanent job that he did get. The job that was/is way better than any job at a bank! We are so blessed!

Its amazing to look back on our life to see where God's path has taken us. Now we are both (out of banking!) in better jobs (physically and mentally) and we've come out on the other side of that long and very dark tunnel holding hands and looking to God. I love Jonathan more and more with each day after watching him grow in such a hard season of life. Let me tell you, we never take our jobs for granted now! We cherish them!

Pretty awesome to think about. So today isn't a day to be forgotten. It's a celebration day. It's the celebration of the first anniversary of the day that our lives changed.