As both of us entered our 40th year of living, we surprised each other with a party that truly did surprise. In February, everyone hid in a photography studio as Paul & the photographer were off on a photo shoot. When it was over, they returned to the studio to be greeted by screams of “Surprise.” In June, it was payback time. I was surprised by a whole backyard full of friends at 9 AM. As he led me to the deck with a cup of coffee in hand, there they were. Thankfully, one of his gifts to me was a new bathrobe. We’ve always loved surprising each other with good times and friends.

Paul was at a point in his career when things were really going well. Our accountant suggested we buy a new house, because our current dwelling was no longer a tax break for us. We moved into our dream house. The foyer opened to a winding staircase, which I envisioned my two daughters descending in wedding dresses. I won’t spend a lot of time on that house, because, as with most of the bad situations in our life, I try to erase them from my memory. I’ve forgotten just about everything about it, except for that staircase and the last Christmas we spent there.

It was 1991. The bottom was falling out of the economy. Large corporations that had fed Paul’s agency for 12 years, were pulling their advertising in order to save money. Paul had to downsize his staff. People whom we had grown to love, had to be cut from the work force. It was one of the most difficult things he ever had to do. Letting those people go, was like cutting off one of his limbs. Within a year, the company folded completely as the bank called in its loan. There we were in this beautiful mansion, trying to figure out how we’d pay the final year of tuition for our youngest daughter to finish high school. Our son was one f the employees who had to be let go as well. Our oldest daughter worked for her dad for a while but was now starting a new life with her husband. The bottom was falling out.

We turned again to the only One who could fix things. God has been our ever-present help in good or bad times. Most of our friends were from our church or Paul’s business. We discovered who the real ones were during this time of transition. Our bank accounts were seized. Our cars were repossessed, and our house went into foreclosure. It was a dark time in our existence, but we continued to look for the positive in what was an almost impossible situation. It’s those times that held us tightly together, glued to the One who had always taken care of us. Paul kept a journal that read like the book of Psalms.

The house went up for sale and we were able to live there for another year. It was kind of ironic, living in a mansion but struggling to survive. God sent another angel to us. We’d encountered many in our life. Just when we thought we might have to live in a cardboard box, under a bridge, a former business associate offered us a house to buy on a contract for deed. Paul was 50. It was hard to get employment at that age. Up until then, we both took odd jobs to keep food on the table and afford us enough to buy a car. Eventually he was employed by another ad agency, back on the lowest rung of the ladder. I worked for a housecleaning service and eventually started cleaning houses on my own.

We had a second, third, fourth and fifth chance. God never gave up on us and we continued to follow the plan he had laid out for us. After a few years of restoration, Paul again decided to start another business. Wood Creek Designs was born out of that time of trial. When he picked up his wood chisels and started to carve things of beauty out of discarded wood, it was as if God was showing us another new path. For me, He had something else in mind. All those years of training young minds how to perform before an audience, allowed me to start a small business too. It’s really amazing how God has already planned our futures for us. It’s up to us to follow His lead.

We would live in the house we purchased from a real angel for 24 years. Approaching our next adventure would take us back to old stomping grounds, old church friends and a new community which would feed our love for the arts. We prayed this would be our final move, but God has other plans for us. I can’t wait to find out what they are.

Next time, I’ll share with you about that phrase in the marriage vows that talks about sickness and health. Our lives have been filled with both of those things. Through all of it God is faithful.