Friday morning, October 28, 2011, Joe received the news that he passed the last of his national board exams. He is finally able to receive a license to practice. What wonderful, long-awaited news! Way to go JOE!!!
You may know that I posted this on Facebook: “Dear National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Joe kicked your can, now you can kiss ours!” (For the record, I don't care to EVER have to deal with Cleveland Chiropractic College OR the NBCE again in this life...just sayin'...)
I know you can imagine the happiness and relief we feel in our family. All the trials, tears, heartache and heaviness of these past years suddenly became history. It was not unlike the feeling one has after the birth of a long-awaited child. The correlations are so similar!
We’ve been truly overwhelmed at the outpouring of love, tears, cheers and all-out support from so many. Thanking you all seems so inadequate! Your love and support has become a part of who we are, and we are better in countless ways because of it...
Surprisingly, I have noticed how tempting it is to want to bury the difficulty of our trial when we are rejoicing in the triumph. It would be nice to forget the feelings of relentless frustration, and disappointment. But, as with other painful trials in my life, I cannot deny as sure as I live that the experience is EMBLAZONED on the soul! Our wise and loving Heavenly Father needed us to learn and learn and learn some more, and that is why I cannot make light of this. We could’ve taken any path and still would have had to learn the many valuable lessons of life that we did through chiro school and boards. Putting one foot in front of the other day after day; seeking solutions to mind-boggling dilemmas; seeking employment in a disastrous economy...I could go on and on elaborating on the challenges. But our blessings completely sweetened the pot this entire time. Not once have we ever been without immense blessings---Where we live, our church, our children, etc--- We're so richly blessed. We have learned that when He says He will provide our needs according to His riches, He does. When He says to draw nigh to Him and He will draw nigh to us, He does. He has needed for us to become more humble (ugh-pride!). More reliant and trusting that He does what He has promised. His will and His plan of happiness will be accomplished. It's too easy to become blinded by what WE want in this life. He needs us to be fit for His use, and to do our part and be the strength that He needs us to be in troubled times, so His work continues.
Experience is a miraculous thing. I pray my children learn and apply something wonderful from this experience as well. We don’t need a lot to be joyful and content. We only need:
To love our God with all our hearts, mind and strength...
To love our neighbors as ourselves...
To learn to follow the commandments diligently...
and to take notice of the important lessons He has for us.
Then we apply them. And grow.
I am deeply grateful for the experience.
Painful, yes. But, that is progression.
He loves us and blesses us.
After such a long, hard-fought trial---shame on me if I ever forget…
