a new chapter

Do you like change? I do not. Like not even a little bit. True story: right after Austin was born, I went through a troubling phase in which I ate a hot dog {no chili}, fruit, and chips with salsa for lunch. Every. Single. Day. To be fair, we had a new baby, had just moved to a new city, and were looking for a new house. I needed something that would be the same when everything else was complete chaos. I like routines and knowing what to expect each day. Obviously. 

Over the years, God has been very patient with me when change is looming up ahead. Usually He prepares me in advance. Because He cares about the people in my life that have to deal with me on a daily basis. 

Once again, I find Him preparing me for yet another change. For the last couple of years, Luke has talked about having some sort of family business, but financially, it just didn't make sense. We have kids. Kids get sick. A lot. So insurance is kind of a big deal. Not to mention all the perks of having a paycheck you can count on each month. I'm sure you can guess my reaction to walking away from all of that. We both knew it wasn't the right timing, and if it was something God had for us, He would have to pave the way. 

This year started like any other year. We spent the first part of 2015 with Luke's family. All of them are self-employed. So everyday, Luke would get up and drive downtown to his job while everyone else walked down the hall to their "office." And then I heard the words "family business" being thrown around all casual like we were just talking about the weather. PEOPLE, let me be a truth-teller in your lives. THIS IS NOT THE WEATHER!! We are talking about change and unknown things and taking advantage of Obamacare! I can't even.

 One night Luke mentioned to me that he might be interested in doing some accounting stuff with his brother on the side. The best of both worlds, right? I was totally on board for that. But then he called me one day and told me that his dad wanted him to pray about being a part of the new company he started about a year ago. I wanted to make sure I was hearing him right so I said, 

"Like leave AT&T?"
"Yes."
*crickets*

Needless to say, we talked about this decision AD NAUSEAM for days and prayed. There was quite a bit of praying. We were excited and a little terrified. We definitely felt like we were crazy. Still, everything seemed to be falling into place, and as scary as this life change appeared, we both felt a peace about the decision to start a new chapter in our lives. That's big considering that we're both the oldest children in our families, which basically means we're super responsible. Risk is something we don't typically do. But this has been a dream of Luke's for quite some time. If there's one thing I know about our Heavenly Father it's that He cares about our dreams. And then He dreams BIGGER than we could possibly imagine. He's awesome like that.

Today is the last day of the known, and tomorrow is the first day of the unknown. We've asked ourselves a million times if we're crazy to walk away from the benefits of working for a large corporation. We are crazy. AT&T has been a wonderful to Luke. They truly care about their employees, and we are so grateful for the opportunities provided to Luke while working there. 

But here's the deal, God is crazy. He sent His Son to die on a cross for a bunch of sinners that were undeserving of such an extravagant love. So no, I don't love change, but I do love my Heavenly Father. I know He's calling us out of the boat into a place that requires greater trust and a deeper faith. I keep telling Him I'm not ready, but I don't think we're on the same page. Per the usual. Oh, and also, I keep telling Him that it doesn't feel like we're stepping out of a boat. It feels more like we're jumping off a cliff. 

{via}

I guarantee you those people are NOT oldest children. No way would we jump off a cliff and destroy a dress that cost our parents an arm. And maybe part of their leg. For all that's good and holy, preserve that thing in your attic. It's the responsible thing to do for crying out loud. 

I know it won't be easy. Luke will be out of town for a week every month. There will be long hours and sacrifices on both our parts. But we believe it will be worth it. Luke will be working from home with a more flexible schedule that will allow him to be a part of more family activities. He will get to work with some of his favorite people, which is exciting and a prayer request all at the same time. 

In the words of Michael Buble "it's a new dawn, it's a new day," we're feeling mostly good. Here's to new chapters, taking risks, and dreaming God-sized dreams!