The Clarity of the working wife

In my last post, I shared about finding a job here in Utah, and I wanted to give everyone an update on how it’s been going. 

Working at Journey Home was not was I expected it to originally be. When I was first hired on, I was offered 40 hours a month. I was conflicted, because I knew that it wouldn’t give Garrett and I as much financial freedom as far as living costs and blessing others through meals at house church, coffee dates, etc. But I trusted God. If He wanted me there, there might be potential to take more shifts. And as soon as I stared training, I was offered a part-time role for 24 hours a week.

I was finally able to disciple people! I was so excited, and it was an unexpected fulfillment of a desire I knew that God had placed inside me. It went well, but it was different then I expected. We have had only a few girls at a time, which I love because I can be more intentional with all of them. But it took a while for them to feel comfortable around me, and me around them. I finally realized, I just need to be goofy. Make jokes, be ridiculous, show them TikToks that I thought were funny. And over time, I’ve been able to actually encourage these girls as they learn how to become functioning young adults.

But work began to become more of a challenge. Residents were going through struggles, and we had several staff quit. Due to the nature of our facility, we are required to have someone on location at all time. I stepped up and went to over 40 hours a week. It was draining, and I feel like some relationships at home church suffered because of it. My marriage was still strong, but all we had energy to do at the end of the day was watch TV together.

Close to the end of this time, a major change happened within our program: our Program Director was stepping down and the role was being filled by an Assistant Director, and the other Assistant Director was changing roles to become the house Therapist. Two Assistant Director roles were looking to be filled. I felt a little tug at my heart, but after seeing that the requirement is at least a year within the program(I was only at 3 months), I knew I couldn’t apply. 

They kept messaging our entire group, and I even asked other staff that had been there longer if they were going to apply. Everyone said no. Out of a desire to see the program succeed, I emailed my new supervisor. A week later I was hired on as the Medical Assistant Director, with 24 hours a week and the potential in the future to choose my own work schedule.

Over the course of six months, I went from unemployed to management. I have now regained the freedom time-wise to blog and update and disciple our home church members more intentionally. And I have been given even more freedom with finances to cover our bills and bless people.

I can see so much clearer now why I wasn’t hired at Smith’s all that time ago and why I was working so hard at Journey Home. Here, I can disciple as a missionary and as my job. God knew what He was doing all along.