God Is Good...

...all the time!  All the time, God is good!

I do have to remind myself of that sometimes.  Okay, often.  I have a tendency to worry and fret over things.  Like money.  Okay, mostly money.

I mean, really, how the heck am I supposed to afford a baby?

Well I learned my lesson recently!

There are times when I wonder privately why I work at a non-profit, Christian company.  Sure, sure, it is a ministry for me, but couldn't I still have a ministry in a secular environment and get paid competitively?  In fact, couldn't I minister even better towards nonbelievers?  (And get paid competitively?)

Well, a few of the reasons I work where I do are:

1. My hubbie works there, too.  It's so incredibly cool to be able to pop over and see him at break, or eat a brown bag lunch together in one of the conference rooms while we watch 30 Rock on Netflix.  We get to get all of our how-was-your-day-dears out of the way before we get home, which helps ensure that we don't take work stuff into our home.  Also, I've been reading adoption/baby/parenting books out loud to Thad on the commute.
2. The people are pretty great to work with.  Especially in my department--they're all nerdy but functional, just like me!  :)  There's also a lot less drama with business partners here then I've had in secular workplaces.
3. I know the head honchos.  Now, that may sound like I do some name dropping, but the fact is, just about everyone here knows the head honchos.  When they're in the office, they make it a point to be seen and involved, which makes them friendly and approachable, rather than way too important to care about a miserable peon.

Here's what happened recently that reaffirmed my decision to work here.

When we first started the adoption process, we talked to our HR department about one of the employee benefits offered that doesn't get used all that much: an adoption gift.  We were told at that time that they only pay that benefit once per adopted child, so even though we both work here, we wouldn't get double the gift.  I was pretty bummed--I mean if it's an employee benefit, then shouldn't all employees that work there be able to benefit from it?

Later, after we knew there was a really good chance we'd been matched with an adoptive couple, we both updated our bosses on what was going on.  Thad's boss remembered that, according to the employee handbook, adoptive mothers don't qualify for maternity leave.  I would be able to take FMLA time, but it was unpaid.  According to the federal government, maternity leave is for birth mothers to recover from giving birth.  It's not intended to be extra bonding time.  Guess how long I can go without a paycheck before I can't pay my mortgage?  Not long!

If you know me, you know that I had a really bad attitude about all of this at this point.  It was hard for me to remain cordial to the poor HR supervisor who had to break the news to me.

So we waited, wondering if we were going to have to borrow more money from my mom.  I mean, I have to have time off to bond with the baby, right?

Well, just a little before New Years, Thad and I got called into the HR directors office.  He told us that not only would both of us be getting the adoption benefit, but they would be doubling it.  They actually made a policy change--all adoptive parents will get this increased benefit.

A couple of weeks later, the HR director flagged Thad down in the entryway of the building and told him that I would be getting maternity leave.  Another policy change.

So not only did our benefit quadruple, I get maternity leave.  (I know I already wrote that, I just had to do it again!)  I continue to be amazed at how much God has blessed us throughout this process, and at how much the leaders/policy makers at work are willing to listen to Him!