Journey to Journeyman

I blasted Facebook with my excitement for my husband but really wanted to take a few minutes to expand on why we're so excited. 

When I met Tim he worked at PepBoys as a service writer. When Tim moved in, aka spent the night and never left, he quickly realized a PepBoys paycheck was not going to pay his half of the expenses. 

This began Tim's endeavor to provide for his family. Tim aggressively pursued a job at Jones Junction where he was promised fat paychecks and wonderful benefits. When the job finally came through he found he wasn't making much more than at PepBoys. He planned to pay for my engagement ring with one of those "fat paychecks." Well as a result we now have a lovely 3 yr loan on my rock. 

With Jones we scraped by but Tim wanted something more and wasn't sure what it could be. In January his boss decided Tim was too honest and didn't fit in there so he fired him. For 3 long weeks he searched and searched and put in applications and began to start thinking he would have to take "anything" that came along just to start bringing some kind of paycheck in. Pretty much everyone knows the biggest thing you will fight about in a relationship is money. I have always been the breadwinner in my relationships and for once I just wanted to be taken care of. Tim was also used to always being the breadwinner in relationships and it was a hard blow to his pride to NOT be able to take care of Asher and I. 

I had dropped a few suggestions that Tim get back into plumbing. He had nearly 5 years experience and there was a lot of potential in the trade. Well it just so happened that the company he started with was hiring for his position! The application went in just like that my husband was a plumber again! 

Tim has a great boss and awesome co-workers. He left the house at 7:30 and most days was home by 4:30, we couldn't be happier. Weekly paychecks, health insurance, paid vacation and sick days. However we were still just scraping by, especially with paying for our wedding. 

One day a buddy from an old job called and told him about his job as a journeyman plumber and how much he was making. That was it, Tim was bound and determined to become a journeyman plumber. With all of the hours already, all we had to do was to jump the hoops and test! And it was a journey!!!! 

We started off with a 3 month long battle to collect his logged hours from a former employer. Then we had to save up $300 to renew a specific certification. God blessed us and he ended up being able to renew for free, he just had to drive to Salisbury to do it! 

Finally the hours were collected, the certification was renewed and we had the $65 to pay for the test! But we didn't have the $500 worth of books needed to study. We priced them online and asked around but got nothing. We prayed, then family and co-workers came through with all of the books and more that Tim needed to study for the test! 

We prayed, Tim studied, we prayed some more, Tim failed, we were sad. 

30 days later, Tim applied, we prayed, Tim studied (on adderol), we prayed, Tim failed, we almost cried. 

Meanwhile, Tim isn't getting  much work and not getting 40 hours. So Tim puts in applications at a company we've been praying he gets into. The applications don't go through and Tim decides to wait to apply again until after he's licensed. 

30 days later, Tim applied, we prayed, Tim studied, we prayed in agreement, Tim PASSED, we almost cried!

For 10 months we have been praying and Tim has been working to become a licensed journeyman plumber for so many reasons. With each roadblock and failed test we wondered why God hadn't answered our prayers yet. Our pastor preached many encouraging messages that encouraged us and helped us get through. One I will never forget is that sometimes God allows the odds to be so far stacked against you so that in the end when He wins the battle for you, you have no choice but to give God glory because everyone can see the only one who made that happen was God! 

With that said, we give GOD glory for our answered prayers and continue to thank Him for what He's doing, has done and will do! The struggle we've been through enables us to pray harder, worship harder and be that much more grateful for all God has blessed us with!