THE ROAD BACK TO TUPELO BY SUZANNE RATLIFF

"…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 
                                                                                                                          Isaiah 40:31

Life. It can sure throw curve balls at us sometimes. My life has definitely had a few of those curve balls recently and the old cliché; “Never say never” could be my life’s motto.

I never thought I’d find myself back in Tupelo working at a new job, buying a new house, and making it my home.  I’m not a worrier by nature, but making such a dramatic life change, a big move, and looking for a new job were all things that, in my opinion, gave me the right to worry.  To top it off, I pulled out my latest resume to update it and as I read over it, I realized I had not applied for or interviewed for a job since 1985.  Yes, I had every right to worry!  Where would I go, who would hire me, how would my children react to me being in Mississippi?  So many questions that I had no answers to.  I began picking apart all these questions, trying to figure out where to apply for work, what I qualified for, could I live in Tupelo again, how my children would handle a mom here and a dad elsewhere.  I pulled out my legal pad and began writing down ideas on how to handle certain situations and lists of where I might work and exactly what I had to offer a new employer.  I was at the top of my worrying game and I had a nice list of how I was going to handle all these crazy things in my life.

After about two weeks, I decided worrying was not only exhausting, but was getting me nowhere.  My lists were neat, but my life was not.  I knew better!  I went to bed that night praying to God to take my worries and show me where I belonged.  The very next day my brother sent me a text with a picture of FUMC-Tupelo’s advertisement for a financial secretary.  I knew then and there, “God’s got this!”  His plans are always better than mine.  I knew this from a young age, but when put to the test, I failed.  I worried, fretted, and tried to solve my problems myself.  When it dawned on me to give it all to God, everything began to fall into place.  God, through this church and that little advertisement, gave me new strength and new hope.  
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That day, I sent in my resume knowing this was the perfect job for me.  I said as much in the email with my attached resume.  Three short months later, here I am with a better job than I expected, a new home beyond my dreams, and two great children that are reaching new heights and loving their mom in Mississippi.  I am wonderfully blessed and soaring on those wings knowing God can handle things much better than I can even dream possible. 

Let us pray that we continually put our worries down at the feet of Jesus, knowing "God's got this!"

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