Day 15: Stars and Their Alignment

So I'm not a huge believer in "everything happens for a reason."

I think there's some truth to it, but for the most part, I believe God gives us a life, some choices to make, and we have free will.

However, there have been some times when I think God aligns the stars to cross to lead you to know which path to take. Take how Joe and I finally met, for example. We had a lot of mutual friends, went to the same university, had met a few times, and even had a few dates, but it wasn't until I walked through the doors of a church (the church that would end up being where we would be married and baptize our first child), the church I picked at random out of a phone book (because they had an 11:00 AM service....score!) right behind him that I knew I probably should pay attention to him! Ha!

Anyway, my dear friend Holly is in New York this week for the USFRA Food Dialogues. When she heard about it, she asked me if I could finagle a way to get out there, too, as she is also taking her sweet daughter, Jenna (it was her birthday yesterday...what a cool present!), and her equally sweet (I'm assuming, because Holly told me) mother-in-law. What fun to take an all girl road trip and also go TO NEW YORK!!! However, because Holly has a real job with a real expense account, and I, at the time, did not, it wasn't going to work.

Unless...

Joe and I were chosen as finalists as the USFRA Faces of Farming and Ranching competition.

Which, we weren't.

Blast.

I was really thinking we had a shot. I mean, we are young, we have cute kids, we are working hard to keep the farming and ranching lifestyle alive and instilled in our children...and plus, during the video...I sported an AMAZING necklace.

Who wouldn't want us?

Well, evidently USFRA didn't.

And this is not a post that is to discredit any of the folks who are the finalists, because, as my mother used to tell me (which annoyed me at the time, but did a great service to me in the end), "Someone is always going to be prettier, smarter and better than you."

In this case...all three, I guess!

No, after about 10 minutes of wallowing in my sadness of why they didn't pick us...I realized, the stars were aligned in such a way that this opportunity was not for us.

Because...I just got a JOB.

Like a paying job. A regular, have an office, do WORK job.

I know. Scary.

I'm working only part time, and it's going to be scary, as I haven't worked in nearly 8 years, but this seems to be a good thing for everyone...says the girl who has only worked 1/2 day.

Anyway, if the USFRA thing would have happened, I wouldn't have even considered this position, which is not only good for us, it's good for the greater good (re: I'm working for the United Way).

Stars aligned.

And I didn't fight them.

Huh...

Guess I'm getting more mellow in my old age.

Linking up with Holly and her 30 Days on A Prairie Farm...and I'm too lazy to post all 14 of my other links, so if you need to get caught up, just look at my sidebar...You're smart, and can obviously read!