tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023296816285697864.post5126878411596605321..comments2023-10-30T04:24:57.963-04:00Comments on Country Roads: Again...Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13929111934775887364noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023296816285697864.post-50284361880459513232014-04-29T00:22:12.767-04:002014-04-29T00:22:12.767-04:00Hi Melanie, I read your blog fairly often, but hav...Hi Melanie, I read your blog fairly often, but have never commented. First, I wanted to say so very sorry about that fire - it sounds so scary! But when I read about your husband's job I teared up. I feel pressed to share our story with you, and to tell you we're praying. My husband has an MFA (masters in fine arts), which he received in 2006. In the intervening 8 years he has worked for approximately 3 months in his chosen field. He was laid off from a mind-numbing job at a mortgage company in 2007, right after we signed a lease on an expensive apartment that we shouldn't have been able to afford on my income alone. Somehow God provided and not only did we survive on my income alone, but we managed to pay off a good deal of debt. In 2009 I decided to go to law school, and my husband was still looking for work (that's right 2 years of no or not enough work, he was sad and depressed a great deal of that time). In 2010 I got pregnant with our daughter, while in law school, and he managed to get a job with a local hospital, making just over minimum wage. It was another soul-crushing job, working with cancer patients. Don't get me wrong, he loved the patients - but watching his friends die almost daily was too much for a sensitive guy like him. At the end of 2011 he got post-influenza pneumonia and was off work for almost 2 months. He quickly ran out of sick time and I had no income since I was still in law school. Amazingly, God provided again when we had no idea how we would pay our bills - family, friends, yes, even the embarrassing Medicaid and Food Stamps. My husband is still searching for a fulfilling job, still working menial labor at the hospital. He's also dealt with a currently undiagnosed stomach ailment that caused him to miss work monthly with uncontrollable stomach pains. This past December he fell on the ice while walking into work and tore the cartilage in his hip and severely bruised his hip bone. We're not sure when he'll be able to fully return to work and he's taking large doses of pain meds daily. All of this is to say, even though our situations are largely different, I can completely understand that sick, hopeless, angry, frustrated, scared feeling that comes with life spinning out of control. Sometimes I just want to scream WHY? WHY? WHY? Why does life have to be so hard?! (Even though I'm a lawyer now, believe it or not, most of us don't actually make that much money and I have a TON of loans to pay back, plus I'm only working part time right now). But it's times like those that I feel like God nudges me towards gratitude, for the blessings I do have. We sponsor a little boy in Rwanda and holy cow do we have it good here. It's so sobering to hear he used the birthday money we sent to buy his family a chicken! I know I'm rambling, but I'll definitely pray for God's grace on this situation for you guys. Hugs! - EstherAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com