In February 2015 I received a call from my former Sunday school teacher. He and his wife owned the tutoring center where my daughter worked as an English tutor. I'd known them for years, and even though neither of us was attending the church where we'd worshipped together (this is the church that split) we remained good friends. So, while it was out of the ordinary that he would want to see me at his office, I wasn't surprised or concerned.
What he wanted was simple: his wife needed someone to help her in the office, and the Lord had impressed upon her heart that I was the one they were to hire. She refused to even interview anyone else. The job they were offering was work I had done before - answering phones, billing, receiving payments, scheduling - but the best part was the convenience. The tutoring center was 3 minutes from my house - 5 minutes if the traffic light caught me ;-). The hours were 2:00 pm - 8:15 pm, Monday thru Thursday. I would still be able to homeschool my son in the mornings, take care of anything that had to be done around the house, and I'd have some extra money. I too felt strongly in my heart that this was God's provision for me and my family, so after praying that week I accepted the job.
Little did I know how much of a blessing that job would be. During the stressful year of 2016 my employers were my family. They were my support system, my constant in a time of tremendous transition and heartache. They loved me and took care of me, and in turn I worked for them like the company was my own. The tutors were like my kids (they were all college students or recent graduates), the clients were lovely people whom we enjoyed interacting with. And when my divorce was finalized and my alimony/child support was reduced from what I'd been receiving previously, I was still able to pay my bills and provide for my family. I thanked God everyday for leading me to this perfect job.
We would close the center four times a year: the week of Spring break, the week after school ended to transition to the summer session, the week before school started to set up for the new school year, and the two weeks schools were closed for Christmas. We worked during transitions; that was when we updated our files, set up the new session, contacted parents, etc. But for Spring break and Christmas we were off, and that time was sweet. I was able to be home and enjoy the Christmas holiday with my family. Of course my bosses were family to me, so it was nice when they called just a few days before coming back to work so we could meet for lunch. However, it was not what I expected.
My boss, who is not a man to mince words, got right to the point: they'd sold the tutoring center. I was rendered speechless. I had no inkling they were even considering selling. What they explained was that the center wasn't for sale. They'd had a realtor approach them with a client that was looking for a place to purchase. At first they'd said no, but after prayerfully seeking God's will, they decided to let the client look into purchasing. After negotiating, they accepted an offer believing that if God wanted them to sell He would bring the sale through, but if it wasn't His will it wouldn't happen. They never mentioned it because everything seemed to point to a sale not going through for multiple reasons, and so they put it behind them. But during the Christmas break everything lined up and the sale went through. Now they had the difficult task of telling all their employees.
Let me make this very clear. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved JM and his wife MM. This couple loves the Lord, they love each other, they loved their employees, the children who came to tutor and the parents that brought them. They ran their business as the Lord led them, believing it was God who gave them success. And the business was definitely successful. People came from far away because they wanted their kids to come to this tutoring center. During the recession of 2008-2010, when other tutoring centers in the area closed down, this center continued strong because the Lord was glorified by its owners. So I don't have to explain the amount of tears that were shed when they told us they would be leaving by the end of January. Even with the assurance that we were not losing our jobs, that the new owners were keeping everyone on, we were all saddened at the thought of them leaving. It was especially heartbreaking because we knew the new owners were not Christians and would not do things the way they'd been done in the past.
The new owners assured us over and over that everything would remain as it had been, and no changes would be coming anytime soon. They told the employees this. They told the parents the same thing. But within a few weeks changes came. At first they were subtle, but soon they became more and more aggressive. By the time the summer session was to start, we went from 155 students to 65. Many hoped it was because people were going away on vacation, but I knew that wasn't the reason. I'd already heard from parents. They were not happy. Prices had gone up. Most of the tutors that had been with us for several years had left. For months I watched and listened and grieved. The new boss did not like me, of that I was certain. This place, that had been such a blessing to me before, now brought me sorrow. I no longer enjoyed going to work.
One thing I know about God, He has a purpose for everything He does. I knew I had to be salt and light in this place of darkness, and I did try to be that. Therefore, it was discouraging that my boss resented my honesty. I could see the business wasn't doing well, and I tried to point out what could be done differently, but he didn't want to hear it. His pride got in the way, and I was a reminder to him that the business had been successful in the past so he would be to blame if it was no longer successful. I admit I spoke harshly at times because he lied and that really upset and annoyed me. I began to pray for God to either move me from there or strengthen me, because it was becoming unbearable. God once again showed Himself faithful.
A dear sister in Christ who'd attended my new church and led a women's bible study there, contacted me. She'd heard that the tutoring center where I worked had been sold. She too owned a tutoring center, and she needed someone at the front desk to run the business, and the Lord put me on her heart as someone she could trust. My hours would be from 2:30 pm to 9:00 pm, but I was still only about 5-7 minutes from my home. I would be working with a woman who had been an encouragement to me in the past and would be an encouragement to me again. What's more, she runs a women's ministry from her tutoring center. I would be able to help and be an encouragement to other women. It was a win-win!
I'd worked for the new boss from January to September when I left. When I let him know I was leaving, he smiled from ear to ear. The woman he'd hired in January when the previous owners left was not as happy. She and I had worked well together. She's a hard working woman, but she also knew she had much to learn. I did all I could to teach her everything she needed to know, including typing up step-by-step instructions for all procedures. I also trained a new woman that would be there to help her out. The new owner had been unkind to me on several occasions, but I chose to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, as Jesus taught.
A new chapter, and new blessings from above. The Holy Spirit had warned me it would be a rocky year, and He wasn't kidding! Yet once again I saw God's hand working, and my faith was strengthened. That's how God works. I am convinced that nothing escapes His notice, and as Romans 8:28 tells us, He works all things together for good for those who love Him.
