originally posted in February, 2012
From my last post in January, where I left my readers hanging . . .
. . . . I had no idea how important those things were to me until I wasn’t able to do them. I appreciate the opportunity to be home now more than ever. It just took me chasing after what I thought it was that was really important in order for me to realize what WAS really important. Being available for my loved ones. Having the time to maintain a home environment that blesses my family. These are the things that matter.
This is turning into a much longer post than I had intended. . . but there is so much that I want to share with you guys! Please come back next week so I can tell you how God blessed my decision and is providing a number of solutions so that my family isn’t going to have to go to the poor house without moms FT salary. It is amazing.
So, let me continue here. While I have been caring for my mom for more than 10 years now, I am now officially dubbed a “homemaker / caretaker” and I am able to receive compensation from the Department of Aging for this role. I simply worked through an agency and took a full day’s training at a local nursing home, and tada!. . . certified. That is the first blessing God gave.
Then, in reading a blog post by Michael Hyatt while I was actually still employed full-time, I became aware of the option of becoming a Virtual Assistant. I followed a gut instinct back in October (remember – I was still employed and was not looking for anything more) and I sent over a resume. I did not get a response from the company and, since I was not actively looking, I chalked it up to not being something I needed to pursue. I forgot about it and continued on.
On December 23rd I did get an email from Miles Advisory Group, the company that matches Virtual Assistants up with busy Executives that require help but do not have the need for their assistant to be physically present. By this point, I had made the difficult financial decision to quit my job based on the new need that my mother had to have someone constantly present. I knew that coming home was the right thing to do. What I wasn’t sure of was how our family was going to survive all of this from a financial standpoint. Well, MAG’s email to me indicated that they were aware that it had been awhile since I submitted a resume to them, and that they would like to know if I was still interested in pursuing the opportunity. I couldn’t believe it! When I sent over my resume months earlier, it was more out of curiosity because it certainly wasn’t our of necessity at that point. Now, however, it was absolutely the right timing. I quickly replied back that, yes, I was still interested.
I have just started with my first assignment as a Virtual Executive Assistant to a busy pastor of City of God Church in Indiana. Additionally, I will be starting an assignment with a second client as well here shortly. This will mean that, in addition to the compensation from the Dept. of Aging, I will be able to work around 10 hours per week at home as an Executive Assistant!
The biggest blessings of all through this is that I am able to be here for my mother. And I am available for my children much more so than I was when I had a full time job downtown. I have the best of both worlds and I am absolutely amazed at how “loudly” God worked in my life. (I say that when God shows Himself in ways where there is absolutely no denying that it is all Him!) He has graciously worked all the details out for me.
So, I ask you . . . Isn’t God Amazing?!?
