(If you missed Part 1, click HERE.)
So there we were. I was finally in a career that felt more like me. This may seem a little cheezy, but I can remember the first time I slid the bunker coat on to my shoulders. ZAP! It was an electrifying feeling to know that I was doing more of what I was made to do. Firefighting allowed me to serve people in a whole new way that just made me feel more alive and resembled our call to missions. I made a commitment to God that I would do all I could to honor Him with this new path.
At home, Heather was a really pregnant momma with two super small kiddos. We had moved our family into an old 1940’s 900 sq. ft. home in a rough part of town because we wanted to be a light there and we desired to live more simply. It was one of my first shifts at the firehouse when I got the call that Heather’s water broke and we were on our way to meeting our third child, Phoebe Jewel.
Financially, life was pretty hairy, but we all understood the sacrifice. If you didn’t already know, firefighters in Florida (and in most places) don’t have outstanding wages. Although it was absolutely nuts, we felt certain that God has led us down this path, so $10.98 an hour would have to work somehow. It was through the support of our local body of Christ that got us through a bunch of rough patches.
About six months into my rookie year, an opportunity to advance came sooner than expected. The medical portion of my position was one that I really felt God wanted me to develop, so I took on something that I would never recommend to anyone with a wife with three babies at home: I enrolled in Paramedic school. I wanted to get more time under my belt as an EMT Basic, but since we knew I’d be doing it sometime anyway, we wanted to get the year of h-e-double hockey sticks (as it was termed by other medics) behind us. The following 13 months would look like this: 24 hours on duty, then driving straight to a full day of classes, followed by a 15 hour clinical the next day, then returning back on duty. I can honestly say that only God held our family together during this time and my wife deserves a huge gold medal for all she had to take on. (Keep in mind that it was during this time that we began Sy’s intense regimen on the Gerson Therapy.)
By the way, what’s the best way to relieve a really stressful time in your family? Yep, you guessed it. Have an incredibly emergent birth with your forth child the day after Paramedic school graduation (Asher was nearly born in the car and came out breech with no drugs–YIKES!–check that story out HERE).
After finally finishing Paramedic school, I realized how many tools God was putting into my hands. When I was on duty, I was having tremendous opportunities to reach people in extremely vulnerable times. I had to take a hard look at the devastation of death and disease and really see things that I knew grieved my God’s heart.
Late one night at the firehouse, I was sitting alone on the back porch when I felt God speak to me:
Jordan?
Yes, God?
Do you know all the work you’ve done to help people in their worst moments? All the times you’ve had to work in their blood, vomit, feces, and body tissue? All the times you’ve seen starving, lonely, and discarded people?
Ummm….yes, I do.
I need you to prepare yourself and your family to do this kind of work for me in another arena. One that most people wouldn’t choose and others will think you’ve lost your mind. Will you do it?
Ok, God. I will do it. I know you’ve brought me where I am, but I know that there’s a bigger plan for me and each member of our family. I’m tired of being forced to choose between surviving the American Dream or serving You. I just want to be put in a place where my faith has no where else to go but grow.*
*Note: Be careful what you ask for. I maybe should have thought that through just a bit more…ha.
_____________
During all of this madness, we had connected with a well-respected missions organization that planted themselves right in our backyard. Through great interactions with some special people, we came to know more about Youth With A Mission and what they were all about. All I can say is that the more we discovered about YWAM, the more we knew it was where we needed to direct ourselves.
Getting there was going to be another story, check it out in our third and final part soon!
Keep On,
Jordan*
No Muck Motto: It’s not about me.
For the exciting conclusion to this story, click HERE!
