Many are the plans...

This story began in the fall of 2006. I was a two-ly-wed, madly in love with my husband and thrilled to be working for a non-profit pregnancy center. Through the CBAE (Community Based Abstinence Education) grants Congress had awarded, I was presenting a common-sense program called Stop and Think to junior high and high school health classes in every school in our county.

I thought I had it all figured out. That Christmas, I planned to surprise my husband with my grand scheme. We would save my income for a romantic third anniversary trip to Hawaii that September, at which time it would be the green light to start "trying" to have a family. That would effectively give me one more year at my job, and a spring/summer baby in 2008.

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Proverbs 19:21 states: "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."

The beginning of December 2006, I discovered with some surprise that God had opened my womb 10 months before I had wanted Him to.  Initially I wasn't excited. All my plans unraveled in front of me. And? My Christmas present of new snowboarding pants that my husband had already purchased taunted me. Yes, my doctor informed me, I could go snowboarding, but I would take the risk of the placenta detaching from the uterine wall. *sigh* Okay, no snowboarding. Grr, and I'd just become confident at my skills.

We'll fast forward to the present, 6 1/2 years and 3 beautiful daughters later, even more in love with my husband than 9 years ago when we married. I have been semi-content as a stay-at-home mom, though I look longingly back at the days of health presentations when my work and the result of my work was quickly visible. (see my post on mowing the lawn)

For the past two years, we've been privileged to enroll our children at a great private school in town. It would be another blog to tell you all the blessings and growth that God has worked through the teachers and staff, but suffice it to say that He has truly placed them there and used everyone that has come into their lives.

I have toyed with the idea, dreamt perhaps is a better word, of teaching at my daughters' school one day. My own mother was able to teach first grade at my private school and it was nice to have her at school if we had a crisis, or just to eat lunch with her.

I pursued a degree in Music Education K-12 with Vocal Emphasis for 3 1/2 years. When I realized my dream of teaching only jr high/high school choir was not a reality and I was sufficiently intimidated at the added responsibility of teaching concert and jazz band, I changed my major to Commercial Music Business. 

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 After graduation, I married my husband and began teaching private piano and voice lessons that Christmas. Since I did not have a teaching degree, I did not think I would be able to teach without more time spent in college. The cost of a Master's degree is prohibitive with five of us on one income, and I didn't want to pay somebody to raise my children when I thought I would rather do it myself...barely breaking even after a long day at someone else's workplace.

God began to move this Christmas. I saw the Preschool and Kindergarten Christmas program, and thought that our teacher needed an assistant. (especially after the misbehavior of my pre-schooler!) After the spring concert, I mentioned that I'd "like to help her next year" with preschool and kindergarten if she needed it.

She mentioned my name to the school when the part-time Elementary Music Teacher position became available. The school asked if I were interested. Thinking 20 hours a week, I told them that it would be too much time away from my 2 year old and that I didn't think I was qualified without a degree in Education.

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I then received messages from two other persons mentioning the position, informing me that it would only be about 8 hours a week and that I had come to mind. I began praying about it that Saturday, and Monday I left a message with the school telling them that I would consider it if the job were truly 8 hours a week. The school called back excitedly, telling me it had been a large item of prayer in their staff meeting that very morning.

The missing piece was the care of my youngest daughter. Too much media exposure has led to some overprotective feelings regarding her safety. And the cost-would it even be covered by my wage?

Again, I prayed and asked others for prayer, and a dear friend who lives on the way to the school came forward offering to watch my daughter.

Today I took home my official contract to read over and sign. The very first line reads as follows:

Believing that God has led in this decision, the School Administration of Hosanna Christian Academy has appointed Tammy Belau as Elementary Music Teacher for the 2013-2014 school year.

Wow. So humbling. This has all happened in basically a week, but God put me at home with my girls before I was ready and He's leading me to work in a school that aligns with my faith again before I was ready or trying to go. 

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"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake." Psalm 23:2-3

I will be the teacher for my two other daughters. They are excited. The music teacher is ecstatic (or so I've been told by more than one person). My husband thinks it's a great decision, my parents and sisters are excited for me.

I am on the edge of something new, out of my control, but more and more as I trust God's hand and His leading, I have learned that it is more exciting than it is scary. Because it's not chaos. There is an order, an absolute order, and there is definitely somebody steering all of it. It's just not me.

~Tammy