In 2012, Pam Padgett was working at Fed Ex as a computer programmer. She felt God was leading her to take an early retirement, leaving her high paying job at Fed Ex.
Here is her story:
Pam says:
One Saturday afternoon I was home reading the Bible when the following verse strongly caught my attention:
I stopped reading and started praying. I felt this might have to do with my job and I asked God to please confirm this to me if this was the case.
The following Monday afternoon I was at work when for no apparent reason a very strong anger came on me. I had never had anything like this happen before and was so shaken that I was unable to continue working so I went home.
I asked God what was going on?
What is written in Micah 2:10 was brought to my mind with the concept that this anger was just a small glimpse of the destruction that lay ahead for me at that job.
Immediately I submitted the required paperwork to take early retirement.
Some of the people I worked with asked me what I planned to do after I retired.
When I told them I didn't know, they thought I was wrong to take early retirement, not understanding being led by God.
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My retirement was effective in February, 2012.
About a month later, Joan Boney was given a dream in which she was shown to start a blog. (March 28, 2012)
She asked if I could setup a blog for us to use in sharing things of God.
Although I had no experience with blogs, since I was not working, I had plenty of time to look into how to do this and was able to set up the Jesus Ministries Exhortations blog.
A few years later (2015) , we began self-publishing eBooks and paperback books on Amazon, and again, I had plenty of time to work through how to do this.
The same thing happened in 2020 when we were shown to begin a Podcast.
At the time I retired, there seemed nothing for me to do. But as God led me step-by-step, I had plenty to do.
In addition, my income was reduced dramatically (from $5600 per month to $2600 per month). Fears came as I saw how much less income I had. Two of the scriptures I was given to help me during this time are:
Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to HIS riches in glory by Christ Jesus (The Word).
As I simply followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, everything I needed was provided. There was never any want.
One other interesting thing came to light. A couple months after I retired, FedEx offered generous incentives to people who agreed to take early retirement. It looked to some as though I had retired too early since I retired before these incentives were offered. Yet I knew that I had retired when shown by God to do so and that HIS way was the best way for me. For God would provide for me.
Then I learned that one of the requirements people had to agree to in order to receive the incentives was to allow FedEx to set when a person's retirement could be taken. Some people were required to continue working for up to 2 years if they wanted to receive the incentives.
God's plan was perfect for me, leading me to retire in time to setup and work on the Jesus Ministries Exhortations blog (and later books and podcasts).
And leading me to retire before the incentives were offered, removed any temptation to want to go that way.
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
I was completely free to move forward as soon as God led me to use the technical skills I had been given to help the body of Christ.
(spiritual gift of "helps" ... I Cor. 14:28)
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(Comments by Joan Boney)
Sometime around the period of 2018, it came into my heart that a change was coming.
I felt I would not be continuing to live alone as I had been doing for several years.
At one point during that time, I even considered that it might be good to move to Colorado Springs where Pam Padgett lives so she could help me. (I was 81 years old then.) Perhaps I could buy a small town house in Pam's neighborhood.
Around this same period of time, Pam began to wish that I lived nearer to her "so she could help me." But then she thought, "Joan would never consider leaving Texas."
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I have found that God puts HIS desire into our hearts!
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
When God is making a change in our lives, I have found that a desire for change will often come to my heart. And later I come to believe it was God's desire for me and not just my desire. God planted that desire into my heart and mind.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.
God was going to make several things "work together" from the middle to the end of 2018.
💥 Pam remodeled her downstairs to add a bedroom and a shower to her 1/2 bath. Prior to this all her bedrooms were upstairs. Pam had slipped on her stairs and was not hurt but she did begin to think, "I might need a downstairs bedroom if I was unable to climb the stairs."
Also at that same time she was helping her elderly neighbor and witnessed many problems elderly people go through in dealing with upstairs areas in their houses.
💥 In October 2018, I fell at my house in Texas and broke several bones in my upper right arm. I was able to live alone by hiring occasional home help care.
💥 A second fall came December 6, 2018. This time it was much more serious, breaking left hip and badly dislocating and breaking left wrist, requiring surgery followed by 2 1/2 months in rehabilitation hospitals in Texas. I could not walk as a result.
At the time of this fall, we only had one other church person in our group living in Lubbock, Texas, where I lived.
The night before surgery, a nurse came into my room to get me to sign papers naming the person who would be in charge of me if I could not answer medical questions for myself. The church member was in my room when nurse came in. I said, "Pam Padgett is in charge of me."
Sandra said, "How can Pam be in charge? She doesn't even live here. She lives 450 miles away."
I replied, "I don't know HOW she can be but she is."
Sandra called Pam in Colorado and said, "Joan said you are in charge of her."
Pam said, "Okay."
(And Pam began praying.)
God planted several ideas in Pam's heart and in my heart: I would move to Colorado and live in Pam's house and Pam would help me. I put Texas house up for sale. That would give me cash to work with after I moved to Colorado. We would put both old cars up for sale and buy a new car, paying cash for the car from money from sale of the house. We installed a ramp in the garage to help me to get into the house by walker or wheelchair
The new downstairs bedroom was finished in January, 2019. I moved to that bedroom February 24, 2019.
It all fit perfectly because it was God's plan.
Financially we both have more money as a result of consolidating of housing and reduction of monthly expenditures from two sets of utilities, lawns, insurance to a single billing.
Pam didn't want to take any money for me to live in her house, but I insisted. I started paying $500 per month but after the house in Texas sold, I insisted on paying $1,000 per month for upkeep of Pam's property.
Remember how Pam was concerned about her reduction in salary after she took early retirement?
Now we have 4 bank accounts to work with and no need and even remodeled Pam's kitchen which she had wanted to do for many years!
When it is God's plan ...
John 10:10 Jesus said: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto HIM that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
(The "power" that works in the believer is that Holy Spirit of God who teaches you all things, reminds you of all Jesus has said, guides you into all truth and shows you things to come. Jn. 14:26 & Jn. 16:13)
In mid-2022, Pam Padgett was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had several weeks of chemotherapy-radiation treatment. Pam said she was so glad she didn't have to be living alone during this period of medical treatment.
God causes all things to work together for good for us, the children of God, the believers!
Relax! God has it all planned out for you.
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