Changing Seasons

In this time of changing seasons, much of my life is in transition.

I am surprised daily by how little energy I have during my recovery from surgery. Even though I am on a restricted work schedule, I can’t get used to how little on my to-do list gets checked off at the end of the day. I fall asleep as soon as I get comfortable in my lounge chair and can sleep 14 hours overnight. It is easy to over-do in the course of the day, but I am learning how important it is to truly recuperate.

I began a new full-time job as office manager/case manager with Northwest Marriage Institute under their three-year Pathways to Responsible Fatherhood grant. Working with this group of people will be a cut above most job experiences. We Christians aren’t perfect, but we share a faith-based perspective that frames our relationships and work ethic. Family counseling is uncharted territory for me and, except for the administrative commonality, will be a learning experience. Taxpayer funding of this non-profit has provided eye-opening exposure to the wasteful and plodding workings of government. No for-profit business could survive if it operated like a government bureaucracy.

This week I moved into my new office. It was fun to dig out my pictures and other office things that make the space mine. I love the huge window, but I look forward to changing the nondescript green walls to more livable brown tones.

My most recent renter violated the terms of occupancy in a damaging way, and I had to evict her. But my new boss needs an unfurnished space, and this fits the bill. So, yesterday I donated Mom’s furniture to the church in preparation for my new renter. I was surprised at how much it tugged at my heart strings to dissemble this place after 23½ years— 15 years after Mom’s passing.

At an age when many begin retirement, I am embarking on a new three-year working experience. That, and the prospect of an equally-long rental arrangement, opens the window to personal growth and financial stability.

 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)