May 13, 2002
A Simplified Life
By Melinda Vail
___I can remember praying that God would help me simplify my life. Watch what you pray for. If it’s in God will, he will answer your prayer, whether you’re ready or not.
___ I had worked in the corporate world for 13 years. I was a single mom and had to support my children. I worked in the construction industry, building new homes. Now this in itself is stressful enough, being a woman working in a man’s world. I found that I had to work twice as hard and twice as long and for less money to be taken seriously. After nine years, I thought I had finally arrived. I became a vice president of customer service for a volume homebuilder. I had no idea what my life was about to become. In the year that I supposedly "arrived," I also married after being single for 12 years and had three teenage sons! Now, just one of those is enough for some serious couch time, but all three was way too much for even Super Woman to handle. Somewhere in all this, my relationship with God got lost.
___The company I was working for was struggling financially. In September of 2001, the owners decided to sell the company. A corporate buyout is a little like running a marathon with a cast on one foot. I started working even harder and longer hours. I couldn’t lose my job. How would my family survive? In December, about three weeks after the transaction had been completed, I prayed that God could somehow simplify my life. I knew that something had to give; I thought it was going to be my marriage. I worked all the time, spent no time at home, barely saw my kids. I was miserable! But God was working, and people in my life were praying.
God drew a line in the sand for me. He told me it was either him or the world — my choice.
___In January, my husband asked me to attend a meeting at our church. Our pastor had asked that we be a part of a six-month study called MasterLife. I had no intention of committing to such a class. My marriage was failing, and I could lose my job at any time. So a six-month class was out of the question. But God had something else planned for me. I did attend the meeting with my husband and 10 other members from our church. I knew it was going to be a great study—just not for me. I had other plans. That was Jan. 24; on Jan. 28, God drew a line in the sand for me. He told me it was either him or the world—my choice. In that moment, late that night, I asked God to forgive me for being a worldly Christian and not living for him. I asked him again to simplify my life. I decided to commit to the MasterLife study, not having a clue how my life was taking a totally different course.
___ MasterLife was wonderful! I found my life changing, slowly but steadily. God was working and teaching me in a way I had never known. This study is not "milk," but real meat-and-potatoes discipleship. I looked forward to the time I spent studying the Bible and the time I spent in praying with God. The more time I spent studying and praying, the more God reveled to me about him and my life. I made a new commitment to my marriage and to my entire family. It was like I took one step toward God, and he came running to me.
___ Feb. 22, I was fired from my job. After all the hard work and the time and energy I had spent worrying about what would happen, this was it! This was just one step in God simplifying my life.
___ God had changed me to the point that I knew he would give me the strength and courage to face what was to come. What came was amazing! With my husband’s prayers, patience and abiding love, we decided that I would help him to grow his business. What that has done is keep me out of the corporate world so that God could continue to heal me and grow me. In the past 13 years, I had not been off longer that 10 days at a time. I have now been out of the corporate world for three months, and it only gets better by the day. Who knew that I could spend an entire morning praying and studying Gods word? Six months ago, I would have never believed this possible, but God is making it possible. He answered that prayer that I prayed months ago. He has simplified my life.
___God and I started this journey in January, and I know it will never end. I am so excited for every new day. My hope is to teach other women how to have the faith to let go and let God simplify their lives.
___ Melinda Vail lives in Denton and is a member of North Euless Baptist Church in Euless
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