This post is part of the October 2018 Edition of 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes. I hope you”ll join me in seeing where each prompt takes us.
P.S. Just so you know, I’m finding it difficult to stick to five minutes (**) and it may take me longer than the 31 days to finish all the prompts. Not easy for this rule follower!
You can read more 31 Days entries at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com 

Do You Know Where You Belong?

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) This photo was taken from Spruce Knob, the highest point in WV. I live in the valley below.

Do you know where you belong?  I was sure for me, it was teaching in the suburbs, living on a quiet street close to stores, restaurants, and theaters. Exactly where I was used to living.

Fresh out of college with my teaching degree in hand, I applied for jobs all across the country.  I’d had some interviews and one offer.  I was excited about the prospect of having my own classroom; the problem was, my mom didn’t want me to accept a position as far from my Michigan home as New Mexico was.  I struggled with the decision because I was longing to teach but like mom, I couldn’t imagine being that far apart. Now at the time, my home state was in recession so I’d all but given up on the thought of finding a placement there. Vacancies came and went in other places though, and I still hadn’t found one to fill.

Meanwhile, working full time at an accounting firm while awaiting the perfect school to call; my boss had out-of-town visitors he’d brought to the office. They made their way around the room until they stopped beside my desk.  I was introduced by name along with the explanation that I was a new teacher still looking for a job.  That introduction reminded me** how near it was to the start of the new school year as I still sat in a secretarial chair instead of my longed for teacher chair.  I was beginning to lose hope.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”‘  Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)

Not long after that polite introduction the office phone rang.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!  The voice on the other end of the line (yes, line) explained that he was given my name by none other than the visiting friend who’d made his rounds at the office and wondered if I was still looking for a teaching job! God’s plan? No doubt about it!

Remember the school in the suburbs? The place I was sure I belonged? I. Was. Wrong.  If you’d told me back then that I would live happily for 36 plus years among quiet fields of corn instead of quiet streets, little stores that keep cheese on the counter ready to slice at any time instead of malls,  or teach in a small rural K-12 country school, I would have said you were crazy! But guess what? That’s exactly where God has given me “hope and a future.”

People have often asked me how I got all the way from Michigan to the mountains of West Virginia and my answer is always the same: “Divine intervention.” You just don’t make that trip any other way.  There’s no doubt that living here, I’ve had to survive culture shock, understand a new vocabulary, and adjust to not having some conveniences. That being said, I wouldn’t have survived without small town hospitality, understood the importance of conversing with nature,  or gained appreciation for conveniences if I hadn’t. I’ve learned much more than I ever taught in my 32 years in the classroom, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, I’ll ask you again, do you know where you belong? I do. You and I belong exactly where God has planned for us to be.

P.S. God planned for my love life to prosper too as I met my future husband the first week I arrived but that’s a story for another time.

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