Community

I love when our prayers are answered in a way that is so crystal clear. The past few weeks I have been praying for a community for someone I adore. She has walked into a church home and is surrounded by just the positive, loving community I prayed for. Sometimes it is more subtle how our prayers are answered. Heck, there are times when I have thought I wasn't heard at all only to see the bigger picture later on.

In my life I have struggled with the heartbreaks and applauded the windfalls. The truth is when I look back I see clearly that the struggles led me to the windfalls most of the time. Everyone around me knows I can't stop saying how much I love my job. It is the truth and more than that I am beaming with gratitude of where God has placed me. In a nutshell, I get welcomed into families homes to play with their wee ones who are under 3 years old. My job is to interact, encourage and just be another set of eyes on these littles who are struggling with development. Me getting to love on tiny tots and have encouraging conversations with their families? Yep! Windfall!

But I know that my own struggles as a mom who lost a son to suicide, another child who has been homeless and struggles with addiction, and my girl who had someone just like me support us when she was bitty is what makes me perfect for this job. How blessed I am to have enjoyed a career as a teacher of kids from kindergarten to eighth grade. That I had those who struggled for 2 or 3 years made them more than students. It made them family. When I retired, I hoped that God could set me down in just the right role to lift up families. This fit in the FIT program is more than I could have dreamed of. FIT stands for Families, Infants and Toddlers. It is a Federal Program that is called different things in different states. But the support before school is the same everywhere. Now this is a great way our government is spending our dollars. Early support for the future of our nation.

Community is something we all need. Whether we just moved to a new city, are home raising our kids or grandkids, or struggling with the addictions of those we love. God has blessed me with community and I am thrilled with the way He answers my prayers.

In Him,
Joyful
1-28-17