Looking back on God's faithfulness...

Chris just got a very nice letter from the Head of the School of Philosophy regarding his job (first job!) at Australian Catholic University next year. Chris is part of a research team with two others in the Department of Philosophy headed under Kevin Hart.

Thinking back, I am amazed how God led us to this particular place in our lives. It all started when Chris and I found ourselves too poor to pay our rent when living in Nottingham, England, where Chris was getting a Master of Philosophy. We thought to ourselves, "We need to be creative and think outside of the box. How can we get out of here?" So, Chris wrote The University of Notre Dame in Indiana and asked if he could do research there under the supervision of a particular professor. They agreed. So, we moved to Indiana. As Chris was in the final stages of his MPhil, he applied to several universities for his PhD. The one that attracted him most was Catholic University where he hoped to work under Peter Casarella. When Chris was accepted we made plans to travel to Washington DC to check out the housing. My parents were to meet us there. Well, weeks before our trip we found out that Peter Casarella was moving to another university! This was in June! On it's own, we weren't quite as interested in Catholic University, even though it is a good school. So, again, we brainstormed and thought about how we might be creative regarding our circumstances. It just so happened that at that time, the professor Chris was working with at Notre Dame was applying for a job at the University of Virginia. He ended up pulling out his application but Chris heard that Professor Kevin Hart (at Notre Dame at that time) would be taking the job there. He wrote Kevin Hart asking (very poetically - I think) him to take him with him as a student of the University of Virginia. So, just a few days before heading to DC to meet my parents, we decided to meet them there and then travel down to Charlottesville (just a few hours from DC) where we were quickly able to find a place to live (in just a day) and Chris was able to meet with the faculty and confirm his acceptance there!

Three years later (this past summer) as Chris was just finishing his comprehensive exams and beginning to write his dissertation (under the direction of Kevin Hart) Kevin called Chris, excited about a possible job prospect for Chris. Kevin (who is from Australia) told Chris about an exciting possibility in the Philosophy department at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, and that he would like Chris to be a part of it! While at first this did sound exciting (and like nothing we would ever have thought of for ourselves) Chris and I also saw that great expense that would come in moving to Australia (not just financially, but regarding being away from the states and in particular our families). But God has been so good to us! As this possibility began to develop more and more, we learned that Chris's job would entail mainly research and writing (a very rare opportunity for those wanting to be a professor). On top of that, the tenure process only takes three years in Australia, where as in the states it takes seven! So Chris' first years as a professor will be low on teaching responsibilities, high on writing and publication and 'fast-track' tenure! In this economy, that is the best situation we could possibly conceive of. So, thankfully, God made a very difficult decision very clear for us! And looking back I am so thankful for how I can see his hand in the direction of our lives! We have no understanding of our future but God does - And isn't that much better?! - Not that he'll just give us what we want - It's always a mixed bag. Good things always have a cost. But he loves us more than anyone and so I hope I'll learn more and more to place my life in his hands!