Greetings, Readers.
Well, last night has to have been the smoothest Thursday night I've had in awhile. As a matter of fact, this whole week has felt pretty smooth at work, despite the complications that have arisen. BL isn't feeling much better at all. In fact, she's looking worse.
My five-day work-week started last Wednesday, after having had Monday and Tuesday off that week. BL got hurt on Thursday, but was able to (barely) work her shifts Friday-Sunday, until our other full-time third-shifter came back from vacation. Sunday night, I told her I'd work Monday-Tuesday for her (which I originally had off, as my weekly requested-off days), for which she was going to exchange her Wednesday-Thursday nights off. So, a couple hours after coming home Wednesday morning, and deciding to sit down and catch up on some things (namely this blog and my Bible reading) since I should have had the next two nights off with no other plans, I got a call from work. It was BL calling to tell me that her doctors wanted her off until the 18th, but she thought she'd be fine with just two more days. They'd already tried finding someone else to cover, but it turned out I was the only one available and willing to work. So, I worked Wednesday and Thursday night, looking forward to Monday-Tuesday off.
Last night, the schedule came up and it turns out I've got Tuesday-Wednesday instead, so BL can stay off the truck nights - essentially, she's got light-duty shifts and hours this week. This is not to say that I have anything against her having light-duty, but the week is starting to feel long, and one more day added to it really doesn't much appeal to my body at the moment. Then, BL came in to pick up her paycheck, and she looked 100% worse than the last time I'd seen her. Considering that the last time I'd seen her was after her having worked 3 days on a serious injury, and this time was after her having been off and (supposedly) able to rest for 4 days, I was expecting to see her feeling a lot better. Honestly, though, if she comes in tonight looking like she did last night, I'd probably have to seriously talk to her about finding someone else to cover the shift. Granted I'm not a manager or anything, to be in position to tell her to do this, but I don't think I'd be comfortable just letting her work like that without saying anything about it at all.
As I said though, taking away the stress of an over-lengthened work-week (although I shouldn't complain much, as my manager is having to work 7 days most weeks, 12+ hours a day, since she has no Assistant), this past week since Sunday has been pretty smooth. Also, some other things are starting to line up pretty nicely in terms of scheduling of future events, particularly some that would be recurring on a weekly basis.
First example: There is a Men's Encounter coming up at the end of the month. A friend of mine from cell group (hereafter referred to as JF), had offered to help me cover the expenses when the Encounter was first announced, and at the time I thanked him, but told him I probably wouldn't be going for one reason or another. Then this past Sunday put a new spin on things, as I mentioned in yesterday's post. I knew, after my first Encounter, that I would want to go on another one at some time in the future, but I didn't have much real motivation to go (particularly with someone else paying) until I got my calling from God so obviously confirmed on Sunday. This has left me with so many open questions about my future, and has revealed to me how important it is that I begin some more serious work on developing my relationship with God, so now I actually have a purpose for going to meet - and devote some solid quiet time - with God on an Encounter.
So, now I have a purpose, and the funds and transportation offered, but do I have the time? Encounters are on a Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule. Last time I was able to go because we had some part-time third-shift people at work that could cover. But now we're running on (including myself) just three full-timers, one of which has a standing Friday-Saturday request off (and the 15 years' seniority to back it up) because of her son's Little League games. Just talked to her last night though, and it turns out that their last (expected) game weekend is the weekend before the Encounter weekend. Now, how to get the third day off without compromising on my paycheck? Turns out that the last time I'd taken vacation days, when I was turning them all in, my employer only put in for two, leaving me one left out of my three that I had. With the way that week lined up, it didn't have much of an effect financially, so I just left the extra day in the bank, and had all but forgotten about it.
Another thing that's lining up now is the Post-Encounter classes. After an Encounter, there are (optional) follow up lessons once a week for 10 weeks, altogether called a Post-Encounter. After my first Encounter, these were being held on Sundays at 0930. (That way, a person going to Post-Encounter who might be in the choir could still go while keeping up with praise and worship for first and second services.) This didn't quite swing well with me since, at the time, I was still trying to get over the straight-from-work-to-church molehill as it was. Then, Post-Encounters got re-scheduled to Wednesday nights, which completely did not match with my schedule at all. However, today I had a short chat with Pastor Rob as he is coming back into town, and he mentioned that Post-Encounters are going to be moved now to Tuesdays at 1800, which fit in perfectly just before TLR.
Also, since I've gotten this renewed fire in my Spirit, I've started to consider attending our church's School of Leaders classes. Again, however, a Wednesday-night schedule doesn't sit well with me or the rest of my week's schedule. This past Tuesday, though, an announcement was made about a new School of Leaders being started up by Pastor Rob, on Sunday mornings at the same time Post-Encounters used to be. Now that I've gotten myself more in the groove of getting to church on Sundays, and earlier, this seems more a possibility.
I know it seems egotistical for one to think that so many events that also would affect so many other people are particularly lining up to one person's schedule so nicely just for them, but it does at the very least seem to be a positive sign, doesn't it? I guess we'll just have to wait and see as time flows on and these things actually come to pass. It's just amazing to me though, how it appears God is beginning to work now that I have begun to believe and accept the calling he has given me.
Now, the next question in my mind burns: How can I live up to a calling in a career field that is almost entirely opposite of what my own strengths and interests have been in this life until now? But I will leave that for a later post. Now, it's bedtime.
Good night, erm, afternoon, uhh... whatever you call it.
- Iszi
Song of the moment: Third Day - Take My Life
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