What Do You Need? ASK

New Season

This is the beginning of a great week for Scott and me. It’s the beginning of a great season. He’s been working in North Dakota for the past 4 1/2 years. He would work over there for two weeks, be home here in MT for five days, and then gone again. He would fly in on a Wed. night and he would fly back out on Tuesday morning. BUT, this Tuesday morning, he is not flying back because he is home to stay!

We are so happy to make this transition. We have been feeling this season was coming to an end. It was getting harder and harder to be apart. Then, a couple things changed on his job and we knew this was the time.  He gave his notice. His last day was last Wed. He packed up and drove home.

Home At Last

I’m so relieved! It’s so great to have him home. It’s wonderful to think that he will be here day after day. It’s awesome to look at the calendar ahead of us and to not ask the question of every event and holiday, “Will Scott be here?” Yes, he will! Yay! To realize he will be in church with me every weekend and able to consistently serve in kids ministry (where his heart is) brings such joy.

Already, I look back and wonder how we were ever able to do this. We hate being apart. We got married because we like being together! It was the grace of God, to be sure. And we grew through this season. I certainly learned to be more independent and yet, to be more dependent on the Lord. We grew even closer as a couple, knowing we were operating as a unit even though we were apart. We talked every day, if possible, and made decisions together. I always felt we were together in spirit. And of course, he was home every two weeks, the shortest rotation there was in Williston.

We needed the job and we were very grateful for it, especially because Scott worked for perhaps the best company over there. But in the midst of our thankfulness, about two years in, I started to just barely whisper to the Lord to please find a way for Scott to come home. People would ask how long we were going to “do this.” I had no idea. He was working for such a great company, but I didn’t think we could do this until Scott was ready to retire. But maybe? I told myself lots of other couples have jobs that keep them apart at times, but then the whisper, “Lord, please find a way.”

Asking for this Change

As time went on, I started to ask the Lord “for real.” My heart’s cry got louder and louder.  I knew others were praying as well. I could see being away was wearing on Scott. It was wearing on me. A few times the Lord helped us renew and reset. And that was the right thing for those seasons. (I wrote about those times here.) But then … the Lord promised me He would bring Scott home. I knew it would happen, just wasn’t sure when.

In the first part of this year, I started to sense it would be this fall. In the late spring and early summer, we knew more and more that this season was ending. We started to look toward how and when he could come home. The economy has changed. There are jobs at home now. (Scott has interviewed and is expecting a call soon to go to work for another great company.)

We Need to ASK

But let’s look back at the Ask. There were a couple of things that kept me from asking the Lord to bring Scott home at first. It looked impossible and I didn’t want to be ungrateful for what the Lord had provided through Scott’s job in N.D. But I knew it was in God’s will to ask for Scott to be home. Of course the Lord wanted us to be together. He’s the One who came up with the idea of marriage. He’s the One who designed us to need a companion. And for the past year in particular, with all the kids out of the house, I’ve been all by myself and Scott was certainly by himself too.

We need to ask the Lord for what we need. We need to ask the Lord for what we want. The Bible is clear on this. “Ask and it will be given to you,” Matt. 7:7. “… but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” Phil. 4:6. And there are many more Scriptures telling us to ask the Lord for what we need and desire.

The Lord Will Answer

So, I encourage you to ask the Lord today for what you need and for what you want. If it looks impossible, still ask. We serve a God who can do the impossible and who loves to bless His children. He gives good gifts! (James 1:17) When we surrender to the Lord’s will and ASK, He will do great things. I know this is true. I’ve seen it over and over. And today, we can say that God answers prayer: Scott is home!

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4 thoughts on “What Do You Need? ASK

  1. Erica:
    Thank you so much for writing “Queen Esther’s Secret”, I am enjoying it so much and it is certainly hitting some difficult spots in my life right now. I could write a book and God would certainly be in the center. I have followed (to the best of my ability through FB) your and Scott’s lives with interest. Scott is my nephew from his uncle’s first marriage but I have never considered either he, Janet or Brian anything less than family. May God bless you all and please continue your writing. It is a gift.

    • Aunt Karen! Thank you so much for writing. It’s great to hear from you. And I’m so glad you’re enjoying “Queen Esther’s Secret.” You might also enjoy the study guide that I just released. The study guide gives me a chance to really apply the principles and it’s also set up to use with a friend or small group. Thank you so much for your encouragement. I’m praying the Lord’s blessings on you and all your endeavors. Let’s keep in touch. 🙂

  2. Thank you for such a quick and sweet response. I do have the study guide and my plan is to first read the book, then Esther in the Bible and then use all three together for a much more indepth study. I too would love to stay in touch and learn more about your family. I think I learned that Scott had gone to the Dakotas after he returned home. News regarding the extended family is very slow to arrive here.
    Just a note, we now have 16 grandkids in age from 6 to 29 and 4 adorable great-grandkids who are 1,1 1/2, 3 and 4. Love them so much. Give the family my love….Aunt Karen

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