How Much Longer, Lord?

For those of you counting at home, it has been 606 days since I packed up my desk and walked out of my office for the last time, feeling confused and betrayed and incredibly relieved. It was the right choice, as has been proven again and again. But that doesn't mean that it hasn't been a difficult 606 days. I mean, babies have been conceived, gestated, and born in the time that I've been unemployed. And technically, if someone were to get pregnant right after the 6 week postpartum restriction, they could have TWO separately-gestated-and-born babies in the time I've been without a job (40 weeks plus 6 weeks plus 40 weeks equals 86 weeks, which is just slightly less than 606 divided by 7, for those math weirdos out there). But honestly I don't think I'd recommend this.

ANYWAY. Sorry for that gestational tangent. My point is, it's been a rough 86 weeks. Babies have been born, people have died, weight has been gained (and lost again), emotions have roiled, interviews have given false hope, money has not-so-slowly seeped out of bank accounts, etc. We've all heard this story before. Everything has changed around me and I stay the same. Stuck. Sometimes, I feel like I might whither up and never move again; I'll just be trapped in an endless loop of interviews and hopelessness. Each night, I pray, "How much longer, Lord?"

Today, he answered me.

"Five," He said.

His voice was not a booming in the clouds or a still, small whisper in my soul. His voice came in the form of a woman on the other end of my phone. Offering me a job. Starting next Wednesday.

Five days from now, I will be a gainfully employed, functioning member of society. Today, I accepted a job offer with an area non-profit organization doing work that I believe in and want to be a part of. This is a full-time, benefited, community-impacting job. It's everything I prayed for and more. I might even get to have my own office! I have mild fantasies of a mini-fridge and a coat rack. Don't ask me to explain; it'd just ruin it.

In the past 24 hours, I have cried, I have jumped up and down, I have fallen to my knees in grateful prayer, and I have danced. Oh how I've danced! I would like to tell you the whole story at some point about how the interviews went and about the offer, but I'm starving and I'm too excited to sit still. So I'll save that for a whole other post.

But I don't want to end this without first saying that I am SO grateful for all of you, my Internet community. This last year and a half would have been doubly difficult if I hadn't had you to whine to and ask questions of and joke with. I would not have had the courage (or the ability, THANK YOU Linnea) to move here to Texas and make a new start. You people have been more gracious and supportive than I could ever expect or deserve. Thank you so much for your prayers, your support, and your love. I had no idea how much God would bless me through this rambly little blog, but I'm so glad I found you all.