Thank you for taking this journey with me down memory lane. If you haven't read my previous blogs, be sure to check them out here.
It's curious how one act of obedience shifts an entire course of your life. My presence at home with the kids opened doors I never saw coming and certainly didn't feel equipped for. But God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.
To set the stage, Jon had worked two jobs (nursing and pumping oil wells) to make ends meet when we made the choice for me to quit my job. He recognized the value it would bring to our home. Later, he would take travel nursing assignments, which paid much better and allowed him to quit pumping oil wells and for us to travel as a family. We were expecting our third child, Sky had overcome many challenges and Alara was a happy little toddler excited to be a big sister.
At this same time, we purchased a new home. In this old farmhouse, the previous owners had constructed "playhouse" beds for their kids; because of their enormity, left them in the house. Sky's was shaped like a barn and he loved that bed. At night, he would go in, close the door and SLEEP!
For the first time in 7.5 years, Skyler slept through the entire night.
This was nothing short of a miracle. Sky simply needed to feel cocooned for his little body to be at rest and sleep. Did he occasionally wake up? Yes, but sleeping became the new normal.
After our first two pregnancies, we were a bit sheepish about the delivery of our sweet Abigail. We were on our knees in prayer for her health and wellbeing. She came into this world on her scheduled delivery date, healthy and smoothly. We were thrilled!
People are often surprised that we had 2 more children after Sky when they hear about his diagnosis. However, we believe Skyler having siblings was the best thing for him. When Abi came into this world, we noticed that Sky did change. He wasn't jealous of her. Our girls, too, see the world through a different lens because of having Sky as their brother. They serve others in the most tender and heartfelt ways.
Now begins another chapter...
When Alara was just a baby, I felt the call to homeschool her. There was no particular reason for it except that I knew it was part of my destiny and call as a parent. I had always been a straight A student, but I had no training in this. Again, I found my weaknesses and God met me at that place.
There is no threshold that He doesn't walk through with you.
He opened door after door and before we knew it, I was a part of a fantastic homeschool community and gained a whole other family of love and support. I learned alongside my kids, and since then I've helped several other families on this homeschooling journey. Today, Alara is in 11th grade, Abigail is in 7th and Sky graduated from our homeschool at the age of 19.
Jon and I often feel like Abraham in the Bible. God told him to "go": to leave his homeland, all he knew, and follow Him to the place He would show Abraham.
Abraham obeyed.
Around the same time we began homeschooling, on a New Year's Eve trip in Florida at 3am on a sleepless night (thanks to Sky) we drew out an idea for a traveling bed. Little did we know that this simple idea would lead us into unchartered territory. Another new birth, the birth of Safe Place.
Until next time...Live without Limits.