All of that to say, I had this inordinate need to explain my relationship with Pinterest ... why, I will never know.
As I was flipping through some of my boards tonight, I realized how telling they were of this stage in my life. There were pins about loss ... and moving on ... and trusting God ... and hurt ... as well as a little Miranda Lambert (for good measure.) There were also quite a few suggestions for getting rid of the pink tile! :-)
And, I know that I've not really chronicled my story of the past few months here ... but this pin reminded me of a sweet piece of that which I'd like to remember.
I knew for some time that moving home to AR was right. However, I would have preferred that that knowledge also came with a job. Preferably before I even resigned. What a nice little package that would have been. I even drew (Mark Batterson's) circles around that. But that was not how God planned it. Little did I know He was much bigger than that.
I had confidence that if God was leading me here that He would continue to provide. And, I figured having teaching and nursing credentials along with ministry experience, that I would surely not be jobless forever. (Did I mention that somehow God had doubled my savings in the past 5 years to the point that having a job immediately was not an issue?)
I felt like teaching was the way to go ... at least in terms of the long term plans for life. I mean, I knew that AR was not the hotbed of opportunities for women in ministry and I am just too old for the night shift. I applied for a teaching job at Bryant HS (THE highly desired, but highly political district in my area) the night before we left for Mexico in April. It took me almost 10 hours to upload and update everything. Arrrggghhhh ...
Fast forward to May (the week we are returning to Mexico). I got a message from the secretary telling me Mr. Pickering (principal) is interviewing for physical science teachers on Tuesday. While we are in Mexico. I called back (it's Thursday and we leave Saturday) ... and plead my case with the secretary. The principal calls me from the baseball field on Friday (where the HS is playing for the state championship) and tells me he'd love to do a phone interview. How's Saturday morning? Call his cell phone. REALLY?? Who does that ... must be meant to be.
Saturday I drive to the airport super early. Check in at the brand, spankin' new international terminal and settle into a quiet corner for my phone interview. Nailed it! Find my team and fly off to Mexico feeling confident that this job is mine.
Until, I get back from Mexico and have no messages. And then the phone call comes. "You are not certified for physical science" Seriously? I taught it three years with that same certificate. Wow. I even talked to the assistant superintendent ... still thought it might happen. But, no.
So, I am three weeks from moving and have no job.
The week of my move, I got a random text from a friend about a ministry job at his church in LR. Talked to the youth minister there and set up an interview for July. Hmmmmm ... well ... maybe THIS is it.
Wednesday ... t minus ONE day til the movers come and my phone blows up. Bryant HS is hiring a BIOLOGY teacher. Same school. Same principal. Dream teaching job. Emailed the principal and said "can we try this again?" Yep!!
Movers came. Said goodbyes. Drove to AR.
Monday morning, met with the principal. Was recommended to the board that evening. Hired. That never happens in this district. That hardly happens anywhere.
And I emailed the youth minister at the church and told him that I had taken a job teaching.
AND THEN ... I panicked.
What had I done? Should I have found out more about the ministry job? Was I copping out? Would it pay better? Was I a failure for "quitting ministry"? I mean, I did keep getting those facebook messages that said, "Whoa ... why the change?" But if I didn't take the teaching job would I be blacklisted there forever? Arggghhhhhhhh ...
AND THEN ...
One of my favorite superheroes posted this to her FB: Well, you can take the girl out of Winona....for 30 years any way. It's true, I'm moving back to Winona at the end of July. Excited about this decision and being close to my fabulous family! Grateful for 27 quite incredible years in Collegiate Ministry!
And as crazy as it seems, it was suddenly ok to leave the "job" of doing campus ministry to teach school and be closer to family after the sacrifices of being away for so long. You see, my move had a lot more to do with being with those most important to me than it had to do with any job. And here was someone who got that (and didn't even know my story). Linda Osborne is that person. That person who "was brave with her life so I could be brave with mine" ...
I realize that our stories really were running parallel, unbeknowst to us ... but really, honestly, Linda's a big deal in collegiate ministry ... like a really big deal. And she has been a listening ear, a voice of reason and truth and a model of excellence for my shorter tenure in collegiate ministry. Plus, she's one of the most fun, amazing, strong people I know. And to know that she got where I was ... and was willing to do the same with her life. It was one of the most affirming moments of my life. :-) I wanted to do happy dances in the parking lot.
So, now, I am confidently walking into a new place in life, making my grandparents' 50 year old house my own ... and making room 201 my classroom. And seeing in 100000 different ways God's provision and His favor and His plan. And finding myself very thankful that I could cook dinner for my parents tonight, go to Walmart with my Mom, talk about Jesus with my department head (she's for Him!!), eat lunch with an old friend, and find that you can go home again! Can someone remind me of this next month when I forget?? :-)
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