Radical Transformation Part 2: Trusting God With the Unknown

Trusting God With the Unknown: That is where this journey went. February 14^th was Paul’s last day with a job. Praying together became essential as we started down the road of trusting God to provide something new. We spent time as a family that weekend, and began reconnecting with recruiters Monday morning. Once the word was out, the phone started ringing off the hook, and interviews were being scheduled. Paul and I both thought this process would be so easy and he’d have his pick of jobs by the end of the week. That first week turned into weeks, and the journey ahead was long and frustrating.

By the end of the second week, my heart started to fill with anxiety. I was having physical anxiety symptoms because I’m a planner and I handle the finances for our family. We received our last paycheck from Paul’s previous company, and we were no longer covered under health insurance. For our family, health insurance is so important because we have children that either seriously injure themselves, or become extremely sick multiple times a year. Each year it is guaranteed we’ll have multiple hospital visits and in this world, a hospital visit can bankrupt a family. This was once again an area where we could trust God to provide, and HE DID!

We went into March knowing that we had a tax return coming, but that was it. I told Paul, we HAVE to have you working to generate an income by the end of the 2nd week in order to have a paycheck in March. Talk about putting pressure on my husband. Did I mention that we have no savings! We have money in 401Ks, but do not have an actual savings account. Oh and debt, yeah, we have debt too. In February, Paul’s car registration came due as well as his student loan repayment plan. Talk about huge expenses with no idea where the next paycheck would come. The tax return could cover almost 2 weeks of a regular paycheck, but in my opinion, there was no way we could get through March without a paycheck! With that said, we tithed 10% of that income tax return with full faith that God would come through for us! People always say, “I can’t afford to tithe.” I’m sorry to inform you but when you are expecting God to take care of your family you can’t afford NOT to tithe. Tithing is giving God back what He has entrusted your family with. Paul and I are firm believers that tithing is essential and so, by tithing while not knowing how we would pay the end of month bills, we were saying, “God we fully trust You!” Guess what? Thanks to a sweet lady hitting my van, causing some damage, and leaving a note about wanting to make things right, we got a check for the exact amount of our mortgage in the mail to cover the cost of repairs!! That is not a coincidence that is God providing! Once we start receiving a paycheck, I’ll get my van fixed, but for now, all of my bills are paid through April 11^th. 

When March began, I had no idea how we would get through the month without a paycheck. With regards to jobs, Paul and I have always prayed for God to close doors that are not in His plan for our family. We prayed that same prayer over and over again together and we watched as God closed so many doors. We were prepared to move to two different states and God even closed those doors. We received offers for jobs, but none felt like the right spot. Then, one door that had been opened for weeks opened wider. We watched as God made it very clear it was the path for our family. It was risky, but the benefits could be great, and it was another opportunity to trust our Almighty God to provide.

Two weeks ago, Paul accepted a contract job with a company to work for a different large company in Colorado. We were ready to get started so we could generate a paycheck by the end of March, but Paul wasn’t able to start until this past Monday. That gave us a week to bring Otto Ops, LLC to life. It has always been our dream to start our own company, but it is also very scary because we need a steady income, and we need health insurance. We’ve already learned what it means to live by faith and trust God with our future, so we jumped in with both feet. After only 2 days in the office, Paul feels this was the best move we could have ever made. The best career move, the best move for our marriage, and the best move for our family. Now, if he needs to work overtime, he bills the company for it. J

I am once again, humbled and thankful for this entire experience. I’m so done with living for my will and plans. God’s plans are greater and bigger than I could ever imagine and He knows what the future holds. The 5 weeks we had while Paul was unemployed were trying and exhausting. They were also the best 5 weeks we’ve had as a family in a very long time! We’ve spent so much time together, and I’m appreciative of the precious time we’ve had. We’ve transformed into a family that spends more time together, and trusts God with what we have. Things I thought we needed were easily forgotten, as we learned what was essential and what was not essential. Paul and I are both plugged into Bible Studies, and we’re working towards really plugging into our church so we can grow. The transformation has just begun and I’m nervous as well as excited to see where this journey takes us.

Radical Transformation for the Ottos: Fully learning to trust God with all aspects of our lives. Trusting him with our time, our finances, and our future. Making God and our beliefs #1 and family #2. Going against the norm of working insane hours to earn a paycheck to working enough hours to survive and then spending the rest of that time teaching our children what it means to live for God. We have 8 years left with our oldest child, and we want him to leave the nest with a firm foundation in Christ, not a desire to work himself to death.