After having been laid off from work for a year, my husband came in one day and joyfully showed me a contract he had signed for a job, a good job at that! How happy he was! My reaction was ANGER. The idea that he would take a job out of town without consulting me was infuriating! Now many, perhaps most, of you are already on my side. But hold on a bit. On this side of the crisis, I see how disappointed he must have been at my reaction. A year without a job had been hard on us. I wanted him to get a job. He got one with a contract, evidence it was a good job. More money that he had made at the last one. But I was unwilling to give up my job of seventeen years, my church of thirty years, my house, my friends, even my 22-year-old son would not be going with us.

As a compromise, Sammy suggested that I stay home; he would take a 16 foot camper trailer to his new location (Claremore) and come home on week-ends. I sullenly considered that as an acceptable option. Several days of despair, grumbling, and tears followed as I told my sad story and got all the sympathy I could get. Then one night as I was on the verge of sleep, Ruth’s words from the Bible came to me, “Whithersoever thou goest, I will go.” In my mind I shook my head refusing to listen to those words. At five o’clock the alarm sounded. I sleep-walked to the bathroom, switched the radio on to the sound of singing. The song was “Whithersoever Thou Goest.” I knew the Lord was giving me a special command. I knew what I had to do. But I was very ungracious is submitting to his will. I was still mad; still in pain; still in tears. One morning I was getting into the car when I heard the words of the Lord, “Straighten up, go inside, and apologize to Sammy.” Oh, you don’t think God talks to us like that? Well it was not audible, but it was words. That’s a subject for another day. Well, I give myself credit for submitting to God’s will and doing what he said. I walked back to the kitchen, gave Sammy a kiss and told him I was happy for him and I wanted to go with him. Now I will not claim that I turned into a Pollyanna. I was still sad, but it was no longer a tragedy. And it was only a short time before I was repaid with home, friends, church, school—and my son even moved over with us. We lived there five years. I loved the smaller town and had no desire to return to the city. Since then when moving time comes I can “go with the flow.” No pain, no tears, no grumbling.

This prompt was to include what might have happened if I had made the choice to stay rather than go. Of course, I cannot know for sure, but I have witnessed others who were in rebellion against God, which I would have been since he had so clearly instructed me what to do. Who can know what might have happened to my marriage? I retired from that public school system. Would I have retired that early if I had not moved? My son married while there and gave me a granddaughter who has been a vital part of my life. How would that be different? I am very glad now for the broader boundaries I experienced.

(Written from prompt by the Daily Post, Michelle W. “Revisionist History” an event that could have played out differently, how it could, would, or should have happened.)