In June, Teresa and I took a week off from our responsibilities at Carowinds, and visited Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Those who know us well know that we have been amusement park junkies our entire married life. So, we took a week off from working at one amusement park to go play in another!

Let me insert a brief aside here before getting to the point of this blog. We love Carowinds. We have worked here for a few years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. We have made many friends and shared many memories. We will miss this place immensely.

When we visited Dollywood in June, we fell in love with it, just as we had fallen in love with Carowinds years ago. On the way home we began discussing how great it would be to work at Dollywood, making new friends and sharing new memories. So, when we arrived home we decided to fill out on-line applications, just to test the waters. We chose a position we felt we would both enjoy, signed an electronic signature, and hit send.

A couple of days later we received an email asking if we would do a telephone interview. Teresa and I agreed to this, and spent a while talking with a human resource representative. After the interviews, we received an invitation to come to the park for a face-to-face interview with the HR rep and the director of the department of which we had applied.

Appointments were made, and we once again made the drive from Carowinds to Dollywood. Our applications were submitted with the understanding that, if hired, we would begin next season. However, on the drive up we talked about the possibility of being hired for the remainder of this season, and what we would do if that opportunity presented itself.

Arriving on Monday, we began visiting campgrounds (Teresa and I live in our fifth wheel camper), trying to find one that we might move into in March if we were hired. We visited several, all of which informed us that they had long waiting lists for long-term campsites. The last campground we visited was Mill Creek Resort. Once again we were told that there was a long waiting list.

After talking with the owner of the campground for an extended period of time, she then informed us that a campsite would be available the first of September. We informed her that we were applying for positions next season, not next month. But, she penciled our names in for that campsite, with a move in September.

The next morning we arrived for our interviews at the park. It didn’t seem like an interview at all; rather, it seemed like having a conversation with an old friend. At the conclusion of the two interviews, we were asked when we would like to begin. I replied that we were applying for next season. He then repeated the question: when would you like to begin? I repeated that we were applying for next season. He then said, “Let me rephrase my question. When can you begin?”

Teresa and I looked at each other for a brief moment before I said, “When would you like us to start?” He then replied, “How about September 23?” We had discussed this very thing on the way up. We also had been offered a campsite, at the campground of our choice, being able to move to the site on September 17.

We had prayed diligently before making this trip, and had committed it to the Lord, asking that He would make our path clear. We also prayed that He would give us perfect peace in making a decision. All of the events described in the preceding paragraphs occurred in such an extraordinary way that we feel God was indeed answering our prayers.

Therefore, the adventure continues. We are looking forward to this next chapter in our amazingly blessed life. God has led us to many places of service. We have tried to follow in obedience the paths He set for us. And now, the path is leading us to Pigeon Forge, TN, to enjoy the excitement of spending time at another amusement park, and, to bask in the beauty of the mountains of eastern Tennessee.

It’s a tough job – but somebody’s got to do it!