A New Era

(This post is kind of lengthy but still a good story, sorry!!)

About two weeks ago DJ started thinking it was time to find a new job within pharmacy. Walgreens has been a part of our lives for 6 years now. And I say it just like that because it hasn't been just a job really but rather another piece of our marriage, family, and life. DJ has spent a lot of his time (including days off) at the many stores he has worked at within the company. Managing the store pharmacies have required more time than the company allows. And since he is salary, that means free over-time. Good for Walgreens, bad for the Jackson household. Now don't get me wrong! DJ has devoted all the time he has to our family, me and the kids. He has been a wonderful father and husband. But honestly the time away from home was getting more and more because of Walgreens demands and we just didn't like where it was heading in regards to our family (or the safety of his patients). So it was time for a change!

Some of you know we entertained an offer to move to Tulsa to go into business with a college buddy of DJs. He is a doctor now and owns a clinic and offered us a partnership of the clinic if we would move to Tulsa and DJ would run the pharmacy based in the clinic and also be the office manager. We prayed about this for 4 or 5 months. Finally we decided against the move (for now). We had too many things on our (-) list and they outweighed our (+) list! It just wasn't God's timing.

So a couple of weeks ago DJ started thinking about buying a pharmacy or starting his own here close to home. This is a huge step for anyone. But with the way pharmacy retails are beginning to dominate, this would have been a huge risk too. Also, finding a pharmacy with an established reputation and cliental that was ready to be bought out was almost impossible. And getting a bank loan while owning two house ... well you get the point!

Our goal now was to find a pharmacy. So Sunday, Sept. 18th, DJ had a plan to talk to a pharmacy friend who attended our church. He also informed me at the beginning of service that he was going to be re-baptized. WHAT? Well, he explained that when he was 8 he accepted Christ and was baptized then, but after attending church with his Aunt and Uncle when he was 15 he learned what it meant to truly follow Jesus and became reborn then. But he never got re-baptized. This was an internal struggle for quite some time and he decided to correct it that Sunday! Well, as we were taken in the back room to talk with decision volunteers, the helper assigned to us was a pharmacy friend, Dell McCarley! After talking with him about DJ's baptism, DJ asked him about owning a pharmacy and wanted to get his advice (by the way this was not the same person he wanted to talk to that morning). After we got home, DJ saw in the paper that Dell's pharmacy had a job opening. We had no idea that Dell's pharmacy was hiring when we talked to him at church that morning. And we had no idea God was going to lead us in this direction. Who knew Dell would be there when DJ made the decision to be re-baptized. But DJ didn't apply to the job since he was looking to become a business owner. However a couple of days later, Dell called DJ to discuss the job with him and eventually offered him the position. After much prayer and discussion DJ (and I) accepted the offer. :)

Some people might look at this and say it was just luck or coincidence, but I know it was JUST GOD! He had his hand all over this. It is something completely different from what DJ has done in the past, but the schedule is perfect and an answered prayer. It is what we have been seeking for about 3 years now. He will not have to work on Sundays or holidays. He will have a normal day schedule with occasional afternoons and Saturdays. Finally my husband will be home for dinner (most nights)! :) He will be a compounding pharmacist, and that comes with less patient and insurance interaction, which was one of DJ's biggest stressors at Walgreens.

So, starting in two weeks, DJ and our family will embark on a new era! Thanks to answered prayers and patience while waiting on God's plan and timing.