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| Well, I have made it through my third day of teaching second grade at North Jefferson. It's been a crazy past few weeks, well, months actually, but I think it's going to be a good year. | | |
| Well, I still don't officially have a job. I'm not technically much closer, but I do feel I've made some progress, if that makes sense. I've now completed four interviews and have gotten one job offer which I turned down and one that is pending board approval. The happiest moments in the last week were those completely unrelated to work, where I could temporarily forget about things. Last weekend I went to Andy and Karrie's - always a pleasure - and had my first experience highlighting someone's hair, which happily turned out okay. Tuesday I babysat a friend's son for a bit then stayed for dinner with the family. She apologized a few times for not having her house completely organized before I got there, but I liked it all the more because I felt like a natural part of their lives. Trevor, who will be four in October, gets shy around others, but talked constantly to me and wanted to perform for me the songs he'd learned at VBS the week before and do the motions. I felt special and it was so incredibly cute. Friday I was happy to have the chance to stop by camp to say hi quick and see friends, then I headed to Frederick for pre-birthday festivities with Charlanne. Saturday we had a fun adventure of exploring a bit of Bethesda and seeing "Becoming Jane." I feel like nearly everything I've been doing lately has to do with finding a teaching job or cleaning up from the last one, and I'm so thankful for the times when I can escape and enjoy friends. | | |
| Yesterday was a good day... full of communication. I had received a call on Tuesday from a Christian school in York, PA wanting to do an interview later this week, but not having an exact day or time yet. They called back yesterday and set up an appointment for Saturday morning. I had just sent an email to a friend wondering if this was going to be my only option, since I hadn't heard from anywhere else, when I got an email from a Christian school in Frederick saying they were pleased to get my resume since they may have an opening coming up. Eventually the mail came, in which I had an application a Christian school in West Virginia sent in response to my resume. As I was opening the application, my cell phone rang. It was Frederick County schools wanting to set up an interview for next Wednesday morning for first or fourth grade. I never expected to get an interview for a classroom position there, because they only had ESL positions posted, so I was pleased. Everything happened rather quickly so I felt rather dizzy with it all, but it was a happy dizziness. I still have no idea what will happen or where I will end up working, but it was encouraging just to be sought out. The only downside of all this was the realization that there was no way I'd be able to do all these applications and interviews, pack up my classroom and probably my apartment, get set up at a new school, and do a week of camp in the next four weeks, so I had to say no to being a counselor. I'm really disappointed because I was so excited about doing it, but I'm re-learning to be realistic and that I can only handle so much. Apart from that, though, it was a happy day  | | |
| So, no news yet about jobs. I will admit that I'm starting to feel a little more desperate as time grows shorter before the school year starts. I've put in paperwork everywhere I know to in the area, and some not in the area, so all I know to do now is finish packing up my classroom and wait for a phone call. I never was a fan of waiting for things like this. Even though I've had to do it so many times I still don't seem to be much good at it. Though I try to remain hopeful, there are times I feel like I'm stuck in a huge pitch black room, trying to find my way out but not having a clue which direction to go. I haven't seen any light yet, but there have been a few whispers in the darkness... the most insistent being "I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future..." I had a song stuck in my head today, from our elementary chapel. It's a kids' song, but I always loved singing it in chapel, and today as I thought about the words I was encouraged. The fact that in my mind the song was song by my little second graders made it that much more precious. Our God is a great big God
Our God is a great big God
Our God is a great big God
And He holds us in His hands He's higher than a skyscraper
And He's deeper than a submarine
He's wider than the universe
And beyond our wildest dreams
And He's known me and He's loved me
Since before the world began
How wonderful to be a part of God's amazing plan Our God is a great big God
Our God is a great big God
Our God is a great big God
And He holds us in His hands
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| Interesting how we can have things so planned out, our lives arranged a certain way, and everything can change so quickly. Last week at this time I was enjoying a day to myself, hanging out in my apartment, cutting out pieces for language arts centers. Today I found myself packing up my classroom, taking down bulletin boards, and preparing my resume to send out. Last Thursday my principal called me in to his office to tell me that, due to budget cuts, some teachers will be rearranged to different positions and there will be no position for me at BCA in the fall. I don't think I could've been more stunned if I had a lead pipe dropped on my head. It may have hurt less, actually. I know God has a plan and already has lined up where I will go next, but that does not dull the ache of leaving a place that has been my home and leaving behind coworkers that have been like family. A friend came in today to help pack, and she took my bulletin boards down for me. Somehow those bulletin boards were such a part of the essence of the room, and I couldn't take them down myself. It seems silly to me that I should get so emotional over bulletin boards, but they were the displays of my personality, my priorities, and my plans that went into making my room my own. Fortunately right now there are so many details to take care of between resumes and packing that I don't really have time to think and let everything sink in. That will come soon, and I'm not really looking forward to it. Despite the pain, frustration, and confusion of everything, I can feel the prayers of many, and it is comforting. So many have come alongside, offering encouragement, prayers, and helping hands. It is humbling and touching to be in a position of having to rely so much on the support of friends and knowing that they are there for you. I know that down the road I will look back on this experience as another time where God was faithful and He was moving me where I needed to be. For now, though, it's all about taking one moment at a time. | | |
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