We had a delightful week in May visiting all the parks. Scoring the Disney dining plan for free was quite the bonus! All seemed right with the world.
Until he got the email on Thursday night. That email…the one from his office that announced his department was being dissolved and that there would be layoffs. Since my husband was the head of his department, and had not been privy to the planning of this development, he knew right away what that meant.
Enjoying our last day at Disney was a goal that seemed easy at times, elusive at others. (But did I mention the dining plan? Two meals plus two snacks per person provided each day, just for the ordering. I don’t think we’ll ever go to Disney again without it. The Strawberry Shortcake Sundae at Mrs. Pott’s Cupboard went a long way towards alleviating anxiety.)
Questions, though, were at the forefront of our minds. Kind of important questions like: When will this change take effect? When will we get the last paycheck? What other opportunities are available at this stage of life? Will we need to move for work? Are there any other expenses we can cut?
We had to wait until the following week when we returned to NC to find out some of the answers. Walk faster….Mrs. Pott’s Cupboard is just around the corner.
There were some questions, however, to which we unequivocally knew the answers: Do we still love each other? Is our family healthy and together? Do we have a supportive network of friends and family? Do we have freedom to make choices for the good of our family? Is God still God?
So much unknown loomed before us, but so much of the known was looming larger.
These were not exactly the dreams we were hoping would come true when we mapped our life’s journey. Our plan was much more stable and predictable, and would give us a measure of security.
Now we don’t have that. Fortunately, another job offer has been received, and although it is in the same general field, it is an entirely different type of job. It’s a job that may not provide the consistency we’re accustomed to having, and it might not have a predictable and steady income. It might not give us security we crave.
But….we live in America! We live in a country where dreams come true.
We have options. They might not always be ones we like, but there are options that we have the freedom to choose nonetheless.
Sometimes those options look like an explosion to rock our little world. Sometimes, though, the option is a blessing in disguise where the potential is enormous.
Will this be an option where dreams come true? It’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. We have been blessed beyond that which we deserve and our dreams for the things that really matter have already been realized.
Philippians 4.19
