TOFW

This past weekend was another weekend too wonderful not to post about.
Missy and I got to go to Time Out For Women, an event put on by Deseret Book to give women a little break from life, along with a big spiritual boost. I went with her once before when I was living in Ohio and she was in Michigan. We met up in the middle for the Toledo event and I remember it being a wonderful time. I've wanted to go back ever since, and this year they were coming to Idaho Falls, just 30 minutes away! And, one of my favorite speakers, Mary Ellen Edmunds, was coming so there was NO WAY I was missing this one!
On Friday night we ended up sitting in front of the most annoyingly rude women at the entire conference, they talked the entire time, ate a very noisy bag of chips, laughed at and mocked the singer, and acted like 15 year old girls. How shocked we were to turn around and discover these were married women, 2 were 20 something, and one looked like she was 40! They were old enough that they should have developed a sense of common courtesy and should have been very ashamed of their behavior. I was too angry at them to enjoy the conference very much, and then when I got home I was so angry at myself for not saying something to them, that I couldn't sleep.
But regardless, we went back early the next morning and it was awesome. The speakers were wonderful, the music was fun, and the women surrounding us were kind and respectful. I've really been needing a spiritual boost lately and despite the bad experience on Friday, the event was worth every penny. I left feeling touched and inspired and rejuvenated.
That wasn't the end of my great weekend though, we also enjoyed relaxing time as a family. On Sunday we had dinner with some neighbors and the kids were crazy good! I was so proud of them. After the kids were in bed Darin and I watched the movie 17 Miracles, about the Willie Handcart Company. What a great movie, I was afraid for how sad it would be but it was actually uplifting and very well made. Darin and I stayed up way too late talking afterwards.  Every now and then we have these wonderful spirit-driven conversations that help us connect on a spiritual level, and we get these little glimpses of the things Heavenly Father has in store for us. It helps us reevaluate our priorities and get out goals realigned so that we are back on track to becoming the people he needs us to be.

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At TOFW, the last speaker, Emily Freeman, really struck a chord with me. She spoke about 5 things we need to remember when we are in the  middle of a trail.
1. The Lord is aware of our situations and he knows how to get us out of them.
2. Trust his timing. Pray for contentment in the middle of your trials.
3. Trust His word- pray and search the scriptures for answers.
4. Trust his example. (serve as he did).
5. Trust that sacrifice will lead to miracles.
One story in particular hit me hard, She told of how her husband had been unemployed for quite some time and they prayed on 3 different occasions that he would find a  job, and each time they received the answer "Something is coming. Be patient and wait." They were worried, and running out of money, but this is the answer they received,  I think she said he was unemployed for a year and a half. A few months after they received that answer for the 3rd time, her husband took over  a business from a woman whose husband had just passed away. It turns out, all that time they had been praying for him to find a job, the woman's family had been praying to have more time with their dying husband/father. The Lord had been telling them to wait because he knew they would be okay, and he knew how things would turn out. He knew it was more important to answer the other family's prayer to have more time with that man before he passed.
How amazing it is when, on those rare occasions, you actually get to know the reason behind the Lord's answer to your prayer.
This story struck me because for a year and a half now we have been praying for Darin to find a new job. We have had no doubt that he would find one, but we are discouraged that it has taken so long. We know we are very blessed for him to be employed, and blessed that his job allows him weekends off and that it is still close enough that he gets to come home to us every night. Yes, we do know we are blessed. But even still, it is not ideal for him to spend 2 hours of his day driving when he could instead be with his family.
Now I'm not saying I think he's waiting for someone out there to die or something. Instead I think the reason it isn't happening is because the Lord knows the best timing for this, and what is best for us. Because Darin has stayed at his branch in Driggs, he was able to earn pinnacle, a goal he had set for himself when he first started working there. Earning pinnacle provided us with a nice bonus check we were in need of. But the job still didn't change. He was supposed to find out back at the beginning of the year if he would be able to take a new position here in Rexburg. Well, the timing for that has been pushed back again and again and as it turns out, working in Driggs these extra 3 months will earn him pinnacle again, and another nice bonus check. Also, not getting any of the other jobs he has applied for has been a blessing as well. It looks like he will in fact be staying with the bank and getting a new position in Rexburg very soon, which means the bank will continue to reimburse us for 75% of his school costs.
As frustrating as it has been for us to just keep waiting without seeing what's in store, we have felt peace that the Lord has been walking us through this time in our life. We have trusted that his will is being done and that he is working things out. Had we known that it would have taken so long for him to change jobs, we probably would not have moved to Rexburg, but we know this has been the best thing for our children and I'm thankful we are here, even if it means Darin is commuting.
I know God sees a bigger picture than we do, and for that I am grateful. We would be so lost without his promptings, and I'm sure we'd be making huge mistakes over and over again. But we are not lost, we are following the prompting that "Something is coming. Be patient and wait." And though at first we could not see what was in store for us, we see it now and it is clear to us that His timing has been best all along. How thankful I am to have the gift of the Holy Ghost, to not only give me spiritual promptings, but to also give the calming influence of the comforter that is necessary to follow those promptings.