Four Years Ago Today- Part Two

Four years ago today, it was a Monday.
Four years ago today, it was my last day at work.
Four years ago today, I started the day meeting my replacement.
Four years ago today, I said good-bye to the best job I had ever had up to that point,
Four years ago today, it was a Monday.


Truly, April of 2004, I was given a tremendous gift. Up until then, I had been a secretary at a local church. There is nothing to be said about that job, other than I really wanted to find another one.

So, April came and off I went to a brand new position at another local church. I was the secretary to the minister of education and missions and it was a big deal for me. It was challenging and the most fun I had experienced in a work environment in a long time.

I felt I fit in, I was needed, I could really contribute and for the first time in a lot of years, I was happy and content in the workplace.

For some many years I had been unhappy. Unhappy with the particular jobs, or the environment or the pay or the drive to work or the people or the politics, or… the list could go on and on. Mostly, I believe that I was just unhappy because I wanted more than anything to be a stay at home mom and anything less caused discontent.

But that April, four years ago, God gave me peace in a work environment. He allowed me to be a place that calmed me and made me happy and excited to work. And then, His sense of humor kicked in. A month and half after I was hired, we were called and connected to Hannah’s birthmother. The excitement of my long awaited dream coming true colored everything in my world from the minute I learned we were chosen.

Suddenly, this job that I loved was dropped into the low priority of my life and the busy tasks of preparing our home for a new little one took over.

On the last day of my work, I spent the majority of the day training a wonderful woman to take my place. As another clue to God’s faithfulness, this woman was re-entering the workplace, after eight years. Eight years before, she had quit her job as nurse, with a one-day notice because a phone call from her adoption attorney came and told her of her own daughter’s birth. I don’t think anyone else could have come in and understood my frame of mind that day, or the short notice I was giving at work. God had a plan, every step of the way.

Four years ago today, I gathered in the work room of a great church. I was surrounded by the ministers, the support staff, even some of the maintenance workers. My work was applauded, my impending motherhood was celebrated and my future daughter was prayed over. We ate key lime pie and laughed and cried. It was a great day. It was also a sad day.

My heart was really heavy as I turned off my computer for the last time, put one last note on my boss’ desk and locked my office. I loved the job, I loved the people, and I loved the work. I could only hold onto the fact that the end of a long journey was at hand. The start of a new chapter in my life was just beginning and through it all, God was in control. It was that thought that helped me get through the next few days, four years ago today.

Part three, coming soon!!!

Living Happily Ever After,
Beverly