Connecting The Dots

Mike recently read a quote that he liked and it has resonated with both of us lately.  "It's impossible to connect the dots looking forward.  It only works when you look back."  This is so true for us.  Eighteen months ago, in August of 2010, Mike was laid off from his job at Ethnographic Media.  The company decided to let go of their entire creative team, and just focus on product marketing and distribution.  It was a scary, but exciting time for us.  After some long talks and a lot of prayer, we felt confident that the next step for Mike was to be a free lance designer and work from home.  Looking back it was the perfect decision for us.  Work started coming in quickly, and soon Mike was on retainer for a church in Texas.  Money was tight, but we were able to cut back in some areas and make ends meet.  Soon, we were loving the new flexibility in our schedule.  Mike was able to take the girls to school each morning, and he and I would sit down to lunch every day and chat.  It was great!

Then came November 2, 2010.  This was the day my mom went into the hospital for open heart surgery-- the catalyst of all of her health problems. We had no idea that day that the next six months would be an incredible roller coaster ride of emotion that culminated in a painful loss on May 3, 2011. During those six months, Mike was home with Lucas during the day which allowed me the time to go to the hospital to be with my mom.  What an incredible gift that was, and I will cherish the time I did get to spend with her.  And Mike was home that Tuesday afternoon I got the worst phone call of my life.  The day my dad called to tell me my mom was gone.  I fell to the floor crying, and simply handed the phone to Mike. He talked to my dad, let me cry for awhile, then held me and talked to me.  He made phone calls to arrange care for Lucas, and then drove me to my parents' house where I was able to collapse into my dad's arms for awhile.  In the blur of those next few days, Mike was my rock.  When I didn't want to go to the funeral home, he talked sense into me and gently encouraged me.  He took care of little things, so I could be with my family.  And in the next few weeks and months, he continued to be my biggest support.  During this past summer, we had so much fun together.  We took the kids to the zoo, we went on a 10 day vacation driving through seven states, we had date nights, and family time at the park.  Working from home provided us the flexibility to pick up and go anywhere at anytime. I see this time as a "circling of the wagons" around our family, and we were all able to heal.

But this fall, again after some long conversations and prayer, we decided that it was time for Mike to return to the work force.  He started putting together his resume, but then just when we least expected it, a friend from a local ad agency called with a job offer.  It was a perfect fit.  So with both excitement and a bit of trepidation (from me mostly), we can say that on Monday Mike will begin his new career as a Senior Designer at Ackerman-McQueen Advertising Agency here in Oklahoma City.

Looking back, I can finally connect the dots.  These eighteen months taught us so much about each other, about our faith, about our family values, and showed us that we serve a God who sees a big picture and knows exactly what we need.