A while back we talked about discipline being the theme of
my 2012. When I wrote that post, I could never have imagined the plan God had
to take that resolution and reveal the fullness of what it meant.
Over the last 12 weeks, Hubs and I have been taken on a ride
that has completely changed life as we knew it. At the end of June, we traveled
to Cincinnati / Louisville to celebrate my beautiful sister-in-law’s 30th
birthday. My brother hosted a surprise party for her and we had the rare
opportunity to represent “our side” of the clan and spend time with her parents
and many siblings – all of whom we love dearly. It was a fantastic weekend of
simple family fun.
On Sunday, after church, we all sat around eating lunch and
chatting before heading to the airport. One of the sisters brought up a topic
that had been discussed hypothetically several times in the past – that I
should work for their father’s company.
He runs a broadcast shopping network that sells jewelry and
gemstones exclusively. Taking into account my love of fashion, accessories, and
all things sparkly, I had always indulged this “what-if” conversation with a
hopeful heart. However, the company is based in Knoxville, TN and I lived in
New York, thus, it had always just been a fun idea to imagine.
…until that weekend in June.
The conversation started as it always did – “Dad, you should
really hire Jaclyn to do marketing for your company – she would be perfect
there.”
But this time, instead of the expected “Wouldn’t that be
nice” response, he said, “Well, actually, we are hiring for that position.”
From there a full-on discussion took place regarding the
merits of moving to a state in which neither Hubs nor I had ever stepped foot.
Two weeks later, we were on a plane headed to Knoxville to take a look around.
We spent the weekend interviewing, meeting with the
University of Tennessee MBA Program Admissions Director and taking in the
sights. We returned to New Jersey exhausted and confused.
The very first thing we did when confronting this
unimaginable decision was to call on the Lord. We recognized that this was “one
of those moments” – the kind that define your future. We prayed for guidance
and clarity to see His will in this decision. More than anything, we wanted to be
obedient to what He was calling us to do.
We made lists, sought wisdom from family and friends, and
prayed… a lot.
And let me tell you… it is AMAZING how the Lord will respond
when you call on Him in prayer. Truly amazing.
Undoubtedly, Hubs and I will be faced with life altering
decisions again in the future. But having gone through this process together,
and at such an early stage in our young marriage, has made our relationship
stronger and built a solid foundation for how those decisions will be faced in
the future. Not since our wedding day had we felt and understood so deeply what it
meant to be “a cord of three strands” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). We were completely
relying on God and each other and were willing and eager to be obedient.
Two and a half weeks later, on August 1st, I gave
my notice at work. Two weeks after that, Hubs began school at the University of
Tennessee, while I labored to pack up our home in New Jersey. And another two
weeks after that, we moved into our new home in Knoxville.
To say this experience has been a whirlwind would be the
understatement of the century. It has been dizzying, exciting, challenging, and
at times overwhelming – in both good ways and bad. Throughout this time,
though, we have continued to seek God and have never before felt more of His
pleasure in our response. What a beautiful thing to walk in His presence by
asking for His guidance and responding obediently when He reveals Himself so
clearly.
So we have been living in Knoxville for exactly 1 month now –
and we love it! Surprisingly, our transition has not only been smooth and easy,
but also tons of fun! We cherish and miss what we left behind in New Jersey,
but are so hopeful for what we’ve already seen here. We have dared to imagine a
future vastly different than the one we had previously expected to live and
have opened our minds to pursuing it.
We feel so blessed and are so grateful for the love and
support that surrounded us during the decision-making process.
In our new life, I promise to reinvigorate this Blog. I will
continue to update you on everything from what I am experiencing here, to what
I’m cooking, to what I’m pondering in the depths of my soul and plenty of what
is in between.
Please re-join me or be welcomed for the first time on this
exciting journey!
