New Job!!!

Well, I received a voicemail today from the pastor of Rock Creek Fellowship. He said that he/the church would like to offer me the position of administrative assistant (that I applied for)! I’m still very excited about this opportunity and, needless to say, I will accept the offer! In fact, I tried to call the pastor after I got home from work, but I only got his voicemail – so I left him a message too 🙂

So what does this mean for me?

1. I will shortly be giving TGIF my two-weeks notice (assuming, as I believe to be the case, that Rock Creek would like me to start as soon as may be). I know I needn’t, but I feel anxious about having to quit the job because I feel like many of the people there depend on my work and I have begun so many relationships with people. I am truely greatful to God for how he has blessed me in the work at TGIF and allowed me (I believe) to be a blessing to my coworkers and even many of the guests. Maybe I will offer to work once a week for them; volunteer to do translation work; or just show up for meals and keep in touch with people. In any case, I will be seeking God’s direction in this.
2. I will now be working 20-25 hours a week organizing “stuff” (I don’t know what yet), developing ways to organize the “stuff,” maintaining the flow of information among church memebers and between the congregation and the session, maintaining scheduling for the pastor, preparing and organizing ways for congregation members to volunteer their help for needs in the church or community, running errands, and anything else that will be useful to the church.
3. I’m quite excited to be working so closely in a church and interacting with manny people, though also (I think healthily) frightened about the challenge of developing the skills of a good administrator. I feel ready for a challenge and to meet this one head on!
4. I will be living in the Chattanooga area for at least one year, as that is (as I understood it) the committment that would be expected of me. But I’m glad. I see in this job a wonderful opportunity to grow spiritually, emotionally, humanly (if that’s a word 🙂 ), and I don’t think I could really benefit in less than a year from the challenge (s) and joy(s) I expect this work will provide.
5. I feel…well…I guess relieved. I always viewed my time at TGIF as temporary – a transition from college to “something else.” As a result, I have been living in limbo, not really going in any particular direction, but all the while wanting to exert myself toward a goal. Now that I know what I will be doing for the next year, I feel as though I can continue full steam ahead. I don’t know…how can I express what I’m feeling?
   Imagine a cross-country race that goes through a huge forrest criss-crossed by thousands of paths and mottled with hundreds of meadows. The runners can take any paths they want and linger in any meadows for as long as they want – they just have to cross the finish line. I have been walking or jogging sporatically in a forest meadow, eager to follow another path, but indecisive as to which of of the many to take (which reminds me of a quote from Uncle Woody, I believe, that “Indescision will get you everywhere!” Or, perhaps in the case of my analogy, “nowhere!”). Now that I have chosen the next path to run down, I can physically feel all of my mental processes shifting – like a runner who, in the moment before sprinting, can feel every single muscle prepare itself in eager anticipation of exerting all one’s energy toward a goal!!!
6. I will hopefully have a more regular schedule, allowing me to participate with greater regularity, zeal, and vigor in my own church (St. Elmo Pres.).

Needless to say, I am very greatful to Jesus for providing this job for me and pray that he would continue to bless me for His name’s sake.