Sometimes It's the Attitude that Follows...

Our ladies Bible Study at church is going through the book of Jonah- The teacher titled the Study 'Jonah...Navigating a life interrupted'.  For those that do not know much about the book of Jonah in the Bible it is about a Prophet (a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of
God) who ran from what God asked him to do- Jonah is the only prophet that God spoke to directly and he is the only prophet (in the Bible) that ran from what God asked him to do.  God wanted Jonah to go to a certain city and preach against it- He wanted Jonah to tell the people that if they did not turn from their wicked ways than His (God's) judgment was going to come against them (to read the whole story click HERE).  Jonah had no desire to do what God was asking because he despised the city God wanted him to go to- He did not want to see God's forgiveness come to the people.........To make a long story short, after running and then repenting from running from God 'the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.' (Jonah 3:1-2)
 The results of Jonah's obedience was one of the biggest revivals in recorded Biblical History.  The people of Nineveh repented and trusted God..............Upon seeing the people's reaction, Jonah was mad...
'But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing... I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.' (Jonah 4:1-2)

Jonah was given a second chance to do what God had asked of him...........after getting the second chance he then had a choice to obey or not

He choose obedience.......

While obedience is a choice that most often requires physical actions, sometimes a true test of the heart comes not in the act of obedience but with the attitude that follows the obedience...........

Jonah choose anger as his attitude..........

'For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks' (Matt 6:45)

On May 17, 2009 Our family moved to the Island of Kauai because we knew God had called our family to live there...
We obeyed...
My precious boys choose a great attitude about the move and embraced living on the islands
My precious husband choose a great attitude about the move and embraced everything about island life
Soon after moving, I realized just how out of comfort zone it was (and was going to be for me) and choose an attitude of anger and emotional fit throwing....

About a year after we moved God laid another life change on my Matt's heart (a life change that God had laid on my heart almost 11 years prior).........Adoption
We obeyed....
My precious boys choose a great attitude about the possibility of having a baby sister
I choose a great attitude 
My Matt choose fear.............the fear of spending our savings account to pursue adoption
Soon after our adoption process started Matt realized just how out of comfort zone our adoption was going to take us financially and tried to run as fast as he could in the other direction.......

My life interrupted by the calling to live on the Island of Kauai
Matt's life interrupted by the calling to use all of our savings for our adoption
 
I defiantly boarded an airplane departing Kauai and arriving in Oregon on June 10, 2011 with the intention of never returning.........
Matt defiantly said 'no' to our adoption............

Every last dime of our savings account was used for our precious Ellie's adoption- An adoption that God called our family too- None of us could imagine not having Ellie in our family..........For Matt it was a HUGE learning lesson about submitting our finances to God- He is the owner....we the stewards.
As the plane left the Hawaiian Islands that June day I didn't even look back- It grieves my heart to tell you that, at the time, I was so angry at Matt I (thought) I couldn't have cared less whether he ever returned to Oregon (where I would be).

That was 2 years ago.....

For the past 2 years the Lord has allowed our finances to be tight.....He has taught us (especially Matt) that our finances are not our own but  are God's- part of submission is that we give where God asks us to give....

For the past 2 years the Lord has allowed my Matt to be gone 80 hours a week....He has also allowed us to move 3 times in the past 2 years.  I have gotten a good ol' fashioned dose of what life is like emotionally on my own....what raising 3 kids is like, pretty much on my own....what, when you choose to make a decision on your own (my choice to leave Hawaii) life looks like....

Earlier this year, Matt and I started forging our way back.
Forgiveness was sought along with a deeper understanding of what God was asking of Matt and I-
Matt to focus more on his family by working less and to trust God with our finances-
Me to not just follow where God leads but to have a happy heart in doing so- Choose Joy instead of anger.........

Once this was settled between God, Matt, and I my automatic assumption was that the Lord would call us right back to Kauai- to the very place where my husband longs to go back too and where I had failed in my attitude so miserably. We pursued and the right door never opened.

For now, God has other plans.........

I mentioned in a blog post back in August that our house went up for sale....It went sale pending 3 or so weeks later and closed yesterday.  In the meantime that all of this was going on, Matt got a call from a cattle ranch about 45 minutes outside of our hometown- They were looking for a ranch manager- The job was ideal in the aspect that it would give Matt more time with our family and that he was very qualified for the position- It was not ideal in the fact that Ryan would have to switch high schools, our family would have to make yet another move (3 in 2 years), and the ranch is rural...I knew the rural part could become an attitude barrier for this city loving mama...........

Heavenly Father thank you for your life's interruptions and for the second chance you are giving Matt and I to glorify you- Matt to glorify you with our finances and spending time with our family....me to glorify you with my attitude in living on a ranch....far out in the country........far away from the city...........I love you dear Lord Jesus :)