This adventure of living in France has been one of the most difficult and challenging things we have ever done in our lives, so we are trying to keep a journal (like a real book and not just a blog) of ways we have seen God open and close doors for us, guide our decisions, and precisely answer specific prayers. He does this ALL the time, but during difficult moments of transition, Phil and I are more tuned-in to His leading and made much more aware of our utter dependence upon it.
We've been here a year and half. And as we look back at that small amount of time, we can see His hand and His perfect provision for us in every way. It's faith-building stuff. Stuff that I want to write down and keep for my kids so I can say, "Look at what He did for us in the past! Our God has always been faithful to our family. He is always with us. And we can trust Him with what is to come."
Voilà, the story of Julie. It was early in September 2010 and we were preparing for Phil's upcoming deployment with the French Navy. I was seriously stressing. This was the third deployment since we got married, and I knew what was coming. Crazy loneliness, twenty-four-seven parenting/disciplining/consoling, and all of the running-a-household-responsibility falling to me. But I could do that. I have done that before. However this time, on top of all of that, I was going to be, pretty much, alone--a foreigner in France struggling with the language. Combined with another big issue-- I was soooo far from family and my support system.
So Phil and I started talking and praying about finding a girl to live me with during his mission. I really, really wanted someone French. I wanted someone who could help me with the language, help me on the phone, and someone who would know the system, the way, French people do things. I was really praying for a miracle and telling everyone I knew what I was looking for.
Through our tiny church of twenty-some people, we found Julie-- the daughter of an American missionary couple there. She was born and raised in Toulon. A Franco-American! She went to college in the US and was finished with her classes and looking for a job. A real job. Not a "nanny" job. She was so overqualified for what my "job" entailed. But as soon as I heard her name, I prayed and prayed and prayed for weeks that she would come back to France and live with me during the deployment.
And God answered that prayer. At the last minute, having never met us, she agreed to come! She stayed with me and the kids through the four months of Phil's planned deployment. And even more recently, she so graciously agreed to come back for a little bit of Phil's unplanned, new deployment (to Libya).
I'm will never be able to express how much she means to me. She helps me the kids and they adore her. She is longsuffering and gentle as she corrects my French as we talk (about 40% in French and 60% in English). She helps me make doctor's appointments on the phone and sometimes I practice my little speech with her before calling someone myself. She helps me correct emails I'm trying to write in French. She explains to me vocabulary I don't understand. She does the dinner dishes while I'm upstairs doing the whole, exhausting, bath/pj's/teeth/stories/bed thing. She helps me find places when I'm lost in Toulon. She has become a very close friend, something I don't really have here--seeing me, and my kids, at our worst, and encouraging me with her sweet smile and kind words. She has talked me off of on-the-edge-of-seriously-losing-it-craziness. She is a gift to me.
And bigger than Julie...bigger than how much she's helped me and encouraged me...is the bigness of my God who ALWAYS gives me His best. Who ALWAYS meets my every need. I will look back for the rest of my life at this time, "Phil's Deployments While in France", and think of the Julie. The gracious answer to a very specific prayer for a specific need. I will say to Lily and Zack with confidence and faith..."Look, remember what God has done for us...Remember how He sent us Julie? He is good-- hearing and answering our prayers...and we can trust Him with everything."
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