Tender Mercies and Coincidences

The life's changes I talked about in previous posts are coming faster than anticipated.  The last couple of weeks Doug has had to face changes at work that vididly shows the handwriting on the wall of what is coming next--retirement.  In a way, a dreaded word--because it definitely is a change of life for us.  We had an opportunity to reminisce the other morning early (while he was getting ready for work).  We started thinking back on the past 42 years and how the Lord was with us every step of the way as Doug's work/career evolved.  I am going to have Doug record this history--(hindsite is valuable in looking back to see the Lord's hand in all of our working career) as a way of reminding ourselves how we have always been taken care of  ahead of time.  First, just how he got that first job with Anaconda and what Uncle James Hamilton and Uncle LH did to help facilitate that.  Then being able to stay in New Mexico with work so Doug could be in the National Guard at a time he would have had to be gone to Vietnam. Makes you wonder how and when Holly and Angie would have come along?  Then how Starr Curtis played a role in talking to Sam Adams for the next promotion to Salt Lake and hence on to Colorado.  Then how Sam Adams put Doug in charge of the drilling dept and how that led to Alan Lang and Gene Fenhouse walking into Doug's office in downtown Denver--a couple of rough neck green young drillers looking for work out west (trying to promote their Wisconsin water well drilling business--and getting a foot into the mineral drilling business).  Doug gave them a chance at Green Mtn, Wyoming.  Then how the work evolved and died to where Doug had to switch over to ARCO and move to Texas--and our eventual layoff there.  How Gene Fenhouse made a trip with his wife Cindy to Victoria, Texas (because that was where she was born) They were on a trip to Houston and with Victoria so close she wanted to go see it.)  That made Gene remember that Doug and Joff lived there.  Maybe they could call them up and go to dinner.  We did and they found out we were looking for work.  Not many months after that dinner we get a telephone message from Alan Lang with a job offer (we are assuming he had heard about us from Gene).  Many thanks to Alan who was able to help us out of our tight spot at a critical point. What went around got to come back around.  But that is really the way life operates--it really is more about the unseen and doing the right thing at the time--the Lord's economics.  Doug had helped Alan and Alan was later able to help us.  It made me cry a little to hear on one of the toughest days at work for Doug this last couple of weeks--it was Boss's day and all Doug's staff had gotten together and given Doug a few gifts.  He was overwhelmed by their care. Then after they left his office, Scott came in and told him that there was going to be layoffs--that he would have to let 3 of these people go. Doug felt so low and sad.  Retirement hadn't come soon enough.  Just after Scott had left--but who called, Alan and wanted to go to lunch.  They visited and Alan knew (he has his network still) about the changes and told Doug he maybe wanted to hire a couple of these ladies. I know that helped Doug feel better.  Thanks to Alan again.  Anyway--all this is in way to say how blessed we have always been in our work life.  The Lord was always one step or more ahead of us in planning the next change in life--I think we can call it Tender Mercies and do not feel that any of these circumstances that facilitated the next career move was a coincidence.  It was just too slick and well orchestrated in a way.  And having said all this, I guess we have already seen the Lord's hand in the next change of our life--Retirement.  I think we can be at peace and feel that the Lord will provide. It will all work out--we are just trying to be better at doing our part of giving love, being generous with our time and means, and serve where we can.  And just going forward with a grateful heart for the Lord blessings and knowing that all of this is really His anyway.