Lynnette’s Story of Grace, Forgiveness, Faith and Hope: Part Two

In Part One of Lynnette’s story, we learned of the devastating loss of her first marriage that included a heartbreaking betrayal.  Shortly thereafter, Lynnette suffered another devastating loss:  the passing of her mother.  The Lord redeemed the loss of her marriage through an amazing, Godly man named Michael.  They soon became pregnant, and Lynnette was hit with the news of her job being terminated.  Surely, this was the climax of her journey and things would go uphill from here! Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.  Her story continues below…

I know what you’re thinking—“This poor girl is losing everything!”  Yes.  Yes, I was.  Rejection is often God’s protection.  And God had a lot more ‘protecting’ in mind than I would have ever known.  Or liked.  Or wanted to experience.  I had devoted 14 years of my career to this television station and I was being rewarded with a ‘restructure.’  The kind where your job gets “eliminated and replaced with a job that’s EXACTLY like the one you were doing.”  That kind.  It wasn’t all bad.  I had wanted out for a long, long time.  It was a toxic environment and was sucking the joy out of me.  Let’s be real.  I had NO joy left.  Luckily (divinely) two weeks prior I interviewed at another television station and was called back for a second interview.  They hired me.  I got a severance package AND a new job.  Now, I just had to tell my new employer they hired a pregnant lady.

My new employer was gracious and my boss didn’t bat an eye when I told her I was pregnant.  I’m sure she went home and drank a bottle of wine that night though.  Towards the end of my pregnancy, they even threw me a shower.  Our daughter was born at 42 weeks (in other words, two weeks LATE) via C-section.  While I was thrilled she was healthy and strong, I was crushed my natural water birth didn’t happen.  The medical intervention was a bit much for me.  Prior to this, I had never even had an IV, let alone a surgery.

On our daughter’s first birthday we put an offer in on a new house.  I was reluctant to leave our house.  I LOVED that house.  I bought it when I was 24 and it had seen a lot.  It was the house we brought our daughter home to!  But, the neighborhood was not what it once was and 900 square feet suddenly felt cramped with all the baby things.  Turns out our new neighbors were old friends of mine.  While we ran in the same circles, I hadn’t seen them in years and didn’t know they had moved to a new house.  Having wonderful, thoughtful neighbors was going to be great; a far cry from the neighborhood from which we were moving.

I turned 40 in May of 2015 and went to the midwife for my annual exam.  “You’re 40 now.  Time to schedule that mammogram,” she said.  So I did.  I ceased breast feeding in December and you are supposed to wait 6 months to get a mammogram after nursing.  I scheduled mine for late July, after our vacation.  In mid-June, after a self-examination, I discovered a lump in my breast…

When I received the text from Lynnette about the lump in her breast, I admit, I was angry.  I was angry at God.  Yes, I believe He works all things for good. Yes, I knew He was in the middle of this mess.  Yes, I am confident He is bigger than a lump.  But, why my Lynnette?  Why, O God? Surely she has proven herself already through her long-sufferings?  She DOES NOT need to further prove her faithfulness to you!  Why?  WHY? Hasn’t she seen enough?

Please return tomorrow for Part Three of Lynnette’s story.  A lump was JUST the beginning of ANOTHER journey she has been required to walk.  You won’t want to miss the redemptive power of the Lord’s divine will and intervention.

Have you seen the Lord’s hand in the middle of your mess? Has He provided for you unexpectedly when circumstances seem bleak?  He definitely has for me, and for Lynnette!  He already had a new job lined up for her as she was being released from her current position.  If you feel led, I would LOVE to hear how the Lord has come through for you.  Please share in the comments below.

Originally posted on simplysara.com on March 12, 2016.