"The Nyes"

There's something pretty cool about writing the plural of my last name and no longer referring to my nuclear family. Now the referent is Jessica and I, the new "Nyes". 2010 was a year of great change for us, and 2011 promises to bring about slightly less dramatic but no less substantial change as we continue to grow as a married couple and hopefully move out of her parents' basement. Below is a description of how God steered us faithfully through a joy-filled year of engagement and marriage:

Evidence of God’s sovereign goodness and guidance during our engagement period was abundant. Coming right out of student teaching in the fall of 09, we thought that Jess might be able to get a full-time teaching job in January, so she applied for one. But thankfully, God did not allow her to get it, giving her instead a part-time job as a Teacher’s Aide in the same classroom in which she had student-taught. With that part-time position, she was able to take care of many wedding details and prepare to be my bride without the added stress of being a full-time classroom teacher. In my case, I began 2010 as an unemployed seminary student, paying tuition with my rapidly diminishing savings, living at home, and driving my parents’ car. However, God provided a couple of part-time jobs to sustain me through my spring semester of seminary classes, and even led a good family friend to give me a 96 Jeep Cherokee for $20!

Finally, our big day arrived on May 29^th, and we vowed our constant love and fidelity to each other before many witnesses. Many dear family members and friends came to celebrate with us as we experienced one of the most joyful days of our lives, made so by God’s active blessing and faithfulness. After a restful honeymoon in picturesque Door County, WI, we returned to set up housekeeping in the basement of the McKnight home (Jess’s parents), who graciously allowed us to live with them for our first year of marriage so we could pay off debt. We spent the summer working our part-time jobs - I served lattes at Starbucks while Jess potty-trained 11 two-year-olds at a local preschool.

But yet another provision from God was around the corner: full-time teaching jobs. Through the recommendation of a family friend, I interviewed for a Spanish Teacher position at a local private school two days before the wedding and was hired after the honeymoon. Seminary is on hold for the year, so this new job came at a perfect time. After an arduous job search, God intervened through some church friend contacts and gave Jess a position as an ESL teacher in Kenosha Unified School District. What a blessing it has been to be in the same vocation - we have the same teaching schedule, and our conversation often centers on our struggles, victories, and reflections about teaching.

As I write this, gazing at our Christmas tree in the McKnight’s living room, I am reflecting that even though our lives have changed drastically this year, the pervasive Gospel reality of our Lord’s birth, death, and resurrection still reigns powerfully over the details of our lives. Regardless of whether we are married or single, employed or barely hanging on, living independently or leaning on the generosity of others, Christ remains the Lord of our lives.

May the goodness of his kingly reign guide and comfort you this Christmas and New Year!