Finally, YES!

Oh, my friends, what a long, long road this has been thus far.  The list for Warrant Officer selections came out yesterday, and, praise the LORD, Daniel is on it!! 

 If you have read my blog for long (or know us personally) you will know that this "YES" has been more than four years (and that many "no"s) in the making.  I know that there are so many men and women who are qualified for leadership positions in the Army, and I don't mean to knock any of them.  However, all along, I've known that my husband is also one of those people.  We just didn't know if God was going to open that door for us.  Finally, finally, He has. 

Frankly, this process has been heartbreaking more than once.  And more than a little humbling.  But, truly, I can say that, this side of it, I would take God's way over mine every time.  We understand now that it is not Daniel's skill or ability or qualifications that got him this job.  It is God alone.  We would have been so much more prideful if this had gone our way, back in 2008.  We would not have been refined by the circumstances God gave us to learn how to better trust in Him and give Him the glory and the credit for this open door.

Given that, I also want to say how proud I am of my husband.  I'm proud of him, not because he has finally been granted the open door he's been waiting for, but because he persisted.  I'm proud because he sensed God's calling and he continued to follow it, even when many others told him to save himself some pain and move on to a new dream.  I'm proud of him because of the courage it took to keep going back, to keep subjecting himself to the hurt and heartache of "no" after "no."  And, most of all, I'm proud of him for continuing to work so steadfastly and with such integrity as we continued to wait.  

We were talking about David (you know, the second king of Israel) on our way home from church on Sunday and how, despite being anointed to be king as a young man, he had to wait many years to see that calling come to fruition.  He even had to live on the run and as an outcast for many years because of his calling.  (Thankfully, we haven't been subjected to that!)  But he continued to serve and love God and to trust Him in His timing.    I'm proud of Daniel's David-like persistence, courage, and faith.  And I pray that, as we continue to live this life, we continue to hold these lessons close, trusting our Lord with every day, knowing that He will provide what is best for us.