Part One

Many, many moons ago I mentioned that I would like to put into words some of the many miracles that had happened to us in a short amount of time. Somehow, over the course of those moons, life has not gotten less busy, and the promise has not actualized. But, one of those miracles – that is, the provision of a job for me – has led to so many other blessings and opportunities that I find myself needing to write one down in order to better share the continuing saga.

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness; let us exalt His name together.

So…if you will….this is the “Prologue” aka Amazing Job Miracle #1

Throughout teachers college, the statistics were grim – something like one or two out of ten graduates found work as a teacher. Thanks for the encouragement, oh wise Statistics-Givers. I remember going to the job fair and thinking, “Why would school boards send representatives if all they were going to do is hand me a pen and say, ‘Hi. We’re not hiring.’?” I felt especially unqualified, since I was a female, qualified only for Primary/Junior, with no additional qualifications, and no French. In short – I was a dime a dozen.

Added to this milieu of discouragement was the fact that it was a time of life when much was up in the air. We had moved to the King’s Towne for my schooling. When we moved we had no friends, no family, no church, and no job. Within a very short amount of time, God blessed us in so many areas: Rod had a job; we fell in love with the city; our church embraced us and became our family; and we met wonderful new friends. Not knowing what else to do, I applied at one school board, and only one.

Amazingly, I got an interview.
I panicked, and when a friend reminded me this was *good* news, I rejoiced.

[For those who don’t know, generally there is an application process to the school board, not a specific school. Generally, it is understood that you are hired to be an Occassional Teacher, and after several years, you can apply for more permanent work, starting at Long Term Occasionals (LTOs) and then moving up to part-time permanent or planning teacher, and after several years a ‘regular’ classroom teacher.]

It was a nerve-racking few weeks as I prepared for the interview: What to wear? What questions should I ask them? How can I possibly convince them to hire me? What in the world would I do if they *did* hire me? I didn’t know the first thing about teaching….

And so, I showed up to the interview. I should also note that in addition to my “dime a dozen” qualification previously mentioned, I was also 5 ½ months pregnant – with a due date a week before the start of the school year. Try hiding that underneath a shirt and a confident smile.

In the end, if you have been following this blog or know me at all, you will know how this story ends. For whatever reason - let’s call it a miracle - they decided to hire me. I say this not in false humility but with honesty: I can’t take any credit. I found out later that there were about 750 applicants, with about 40 hires.

As a footnote, so many other finer points need to be mentioned. The way that all the details worked out was such a gift: I had thought of begging them for two months maternity leave, but was told that I would be given a full year (although with no pay), with my position waiting for me. I was given the chance to be on the emergency supply list, which gave me just enough days to get my feet wet so that when I did go back, I had gotten over the initial hump. When I did go back after a priceless year with G, God gave me the most amazing daycare provider who was flexible beyond measure and accommodated so well the supply-teacher lifestyle. Each unknown, each worry, was more than taken care of.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?