The word “re-rerouted” means to make something go in a new
direction. I chose this name for my blog because my life and expectations of my
life have recently been drastically re-rerouted. In the past 5 months, my life
has gone in several new directions. These are some of the major ones:
1. Marriage: On February 25, 2012, I married the most
loving and patient man I have ever met. As a girl who never dated prior to the
age of 22 (and nearly 23), I had my doubts about whether I’d ever marry. But in
February of 2011, I met the love of my life on an online dating website. Given
my father’s views about technology, how my husband and I met is very ironic.
When I was growing up, my father would share articles with me about the dangers
of Internet predators—stories of young girls whose lives were cut short because
they believed the lies of evil men. I soon began to realize that when my father
read these articles, he saw me in the place of the victim. And by sharing them
with me, he was saying, “I love you, and I don’t want to read an article like
this about you.” I only dated one guy that I met online—my soon-to-be husband.
Before our first date, I wrote down every bit of information I knew about him.
If he had malicious plans, he was not going to get away with them. Obviously,
he was non-threatening. But I
digress… The point of this message is this: In February 2011, I had never
dated. By February 2012, I was married.
2. Debt: On March 5, 2012 (4 days after my
honeymoon), I started a new teaching job, and my car was stolen. I was
eventually able to laugh at the latter event because my car was in ridiculously
awful condition. I enjoyed the idea that my Jeep was so inconvenient a steal
that it probably redeemed this man/woman from a life of crime. My Jeep was
twenty years old and guzzled gas like crazy. It had an overheating engine that
could not handle idling at all in the summer time. The transmission stuck so
bad that it felt like you were in a car accident every time it jolted back into
gear. The fuse that controlled the interior lights, power locks, and radio
continuously burned through replacements. The odometer was stuck, so it
constantly clicked, which, of course, was audible due to the lack of radio.
There was a leak somewhere in the Jeep that allowed rainwater to flood the
floor of the driver’s side. The oil leaked, and a headlight had gone out. I
think that’s all. But what really gets me is that not only was the Jeep not
worth stealing, it also had absolutely no gas in its tank at the time. So the
thief had to hotwire the car, drive to a gas station, purchase gas from his
pocket, and re-hotwire the car before he could get anywhere. I love it! But
despite the humor in the situation, my husband and I needed a second car. So,
for the first time in my life, I had a car payment.
3. Financial crisis: I’m not exactly sure of the date
that marked the beginning of this next event. The only record of it is a text
message from my husband, and I think I deleted it. I only know that it was
within a month of purchasing our first car that my husband lost his job. He was
out of work for two months, but it felt so much longer than that. This time in
my life was one of extreme stress, and I only want to summarize it by saying
that God is faithful and good.
“For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The
jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the
day the LORD gives rain on the land.'"
1 Kings 17:14
4. Relocation: My husband first started looking for
jobs in Memphis, TN, the city in which we lived. Then he looked in surrounding
cities, surrounding states, and finally just anywhere. He eventually found a
job in West Virginia, and we moved there the week after I finished the school
year. We now live in a tiny apartment and are hundreds of miles away from the
nearest person we know. I’m starting this blog as a way to record and enjoy
this huge life change. I love the saying “Bloom where you’re planted.” As
instruments of a sovereign God, that is what we are instructed to do—to do the
will of the Father where He puts us. So in this blog, you will find posts about
my adventures in West Virginia, in addition to blurbs about living small and
budget-friendly, decorating a rental, and…
5. Career change: …my new career change. Since I was
nine years old, I have wanted to be a teacher. Sadly, after fifteen years, I
have decided that teaching is not for me. It made me a very negative person and
became something that I despised. I’m still considering substitute teaching,
but I do not intend to full-time teach ever again. Instead, I’ve decided to
start my own craft business by the name of “Re-routed.” I thought the name fit
such a drastic career switch, and I will be blogging about the endeavor on this
site, as well. I’m so excited and blessed to be able to do something that I
truly love! Updates coming soon!
