A Life Changing Day...............

It was a Normal Day in December 2011, just a few weeks before Christmas and it was a day that we will NEVER forget!  Philip was at his job at Birmingham Southern Railroad and I was home getting ready to go to the Hair Salon.  Around 11:00 a.m. the phone rang and it was Philip on the other end and this is what he said..."I just got out of a meeting and was told that as of January 31, 2012, Birmingham Southern Railroad will no longer exist."  I said...."So, another company is buying the Railroad, but you will still have a job, right?" He repeated to me what he had just said, as if I had not heard him at all and then added a firm "NO!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing! He had worked at Birmingham Southern Railroad for 35 years, since he was 19 years old. How could this be happening?!?!
He said that a company called WATCO had purchased the Railroad and if he or any of the other employees wanted a job with them, they could fill out an application and would be guaranteed at least one interview. That was all the information he had been given. Our phone conversation ended.
As I hung up the phone, I began to feel Numb and Nauseous. "What in the World were we going to do"? I thought. I started crying and praying and then the thought came to me.......Nothing comes into our Lives that is not first sifted thru the Hands of our Heavenly Father. Although we didn't understand or know what was to come, HE knew all about it and had a plan.  God had always taken care of us in the past and would Not fail us Now!
Philip came home that afternoon, not only drained physically but emotionally too.  He went straight to the Computer and went online to the WATCO website and filled out a job application.  That seemed so strange that he even had to do this since he had worked for the Railroad for 35 years. Why with his experience and skills would they not automatically want to keep him at his same job?

After a couple of weeks, he was contacted by them and went for an interview.  He was told that if he was hired, that there would be some changes and his wages could be substantially lowered.  That is certainly not something you want to hear. They gave him a time frame that he would be contacted of their decision and the interview ended.  Now for the Wait!

As Christmas was fast approaching, we tried hard to NOT put our total thoughts on whether or not he would have a job at the end of January but to  focus on our Family time and Enjoy being with our Children and Grandchildren.  We didn't want a dark cloud to be hanging over what really mattered most in our Lives.

We had a Wonderful Holiday time and then the NEW YEAR began!