The past month of August has been a treacherous sea to navigate for my little boat. Everything in life seems to hit at once: all the good, all the bad, and all the in-between stuff like laundry and cleaning that gets shoved into little pockets of unspoken-for time. If you haven't heard yet, I'm single so everything that needs to be done in my life falls on me. I have to make supper, I have to work to pay the rent, I have to feed the bottomless stomach of my cat, etc. I do have a roommate with whom I share the rent bill, cleaning chores, cat feedings, and sometimes a supper or two with which does help when it's all said and done. For the most part though, it all starts and ends with me.
There have been many days in this month of August that I have just sat myself down and said, "I don't feel like _____ (fill-in-the-blank)." Yet I look out from the couch or my bed and see piles of laundry and dishes that need washing, an ever-growing Pinterest board of craft ideas, and a diary that has laid dormant for just about a year. I am the queen of starting projects and not finishing them. At the present time, I have a patio set of furniture on my balcony that needs sanded down and re-painted and I just haven't felt like doing it so I haven't. Part of it stems from an old back injury that recently flared up because I decided to wear a pair of very high heels all day. Good job Christa! Part of it is because who wants to sit on the balcony on a steaming hot day sanding metal. Not me! The other part of it is because my mental capacity at the end of the workday has been drained. I really don't have the energy to focus on anything but eating dinner and going to bed right now. More on that in another blog post.
I have really challenged myself this year to step up in the ministries of my church. Along with my current job, I am the part-time hospitality director of my church, Pee-Wee club teacher, Christmas Play director, nursery worker, Sunday night piano player, special music soloist, substitute Sunday School teacher, and in general church member. Whew! In the midst of the church goings-on, I restarted my blog and my work has become extra taxing in the last month. The thing is I know I am busy. I know I have a lot to do. I also know that I'm not the type to sit on my hands and say someone should, someone needs to, if someone would just, etc. Yet in June of this year, I was that person. The one who wanted to just get in my car and drive far away to Seattle. I always pick Seattle because when I was younger I wanted to run away at age 18 (I didn't btw) and Seattle looked like a good place. I didn't feel like doing anything else in church, I didn't feel like going to work anymore, and I didn't feel like I wanted to stay in Ohio.
In May of this year, I was given the opportunity to apply for two jobs in Texas. My company is based there and the positions offered were basically my two dream jobs. One dealt with employee engagement while the other was for an Executive Admin Assistant. I interviewed for the employee engagement on first and was eventually told I didn't get the job. That was ok though because I had the opportunity for the other job. This was the one I felt God was leading me too. I asked my family and a few friends to pray. I really felt that God would answer my prayer and I would be moving to Texas soon! Yes I'd leave my friends, family, church, and everything else behind but what an exciting time in life! I've always wanted to live out on my own and I felt that this was the ultimate test. I was willing to give up everything for that dream job. The interviews went smashingly well. After 3 weeks, the e-mail came... I still remember it. They had decided to go with someone else and I wasn't given the position. I was absolutely devastated as I called my mom in tears. I tried to put on a brave face but I know my mom knew how much it hurt. I really wanted it. I really felt that God was leading me. I started to beat myself up for reading the clues wrong, for not working harder, and for only getting an Associates Degree. How stupid could I have been to believe that they would've picked me?!
It all accumulated into June and my heart went out of all ministries in my church. You see I was mentally preparing myself to say goodbye and I had prepared myself so much that I didn't care anymore. I felt like walking into my pastor's office and saying I quit! I quit because all of this hard work and prayer has gotten me nowhere! Yet I couldn't bring myself to do it so I just floated in my little boat acting like I was ok. I just didn't feel like doing anything.
I have a friend who deals with lupus (an autoimmune disease) and many other ailments. In the midst of my life crisis, she posted a glimpse into her daily life and it broke my heart. She lives with daily excruciating pain yet still manages to work, serve in her church, and love on her family. Conviction struck my heart like a knife. I literally gasped when I read her post. Here I am, a mostly healthy person...mad at the world acting like a 2 year old because I didn't get something I wanted. I'm not saying I shouldn't have been disappointed or I shouldn't have cried but I certainly shouldn't have stopped serving God. It was then I decided that I was going to do everything I could to live the abundant life and what better way to start than in the ministry. She didn't do it to "school" others, she meant it for encouragement. Boy did it encourage me. I happy to say as of this week the Christmas play practice is going well, my blog is doing great, and Pee-Wee had a smooth start on Wednesday. God has truly provided and I am blessed.
For you my friends, blog readers, and followers..I want to pass the encouragement on to you. You may not have lots of time but you can do something. All of us are aware that life doesn't deal with us fairly and it sure gets in our way when we want to accomplish our goals. Failure tends to discourage us from doing new things and trying new ways. Don't be discouraged by failure's bumps and dips. Press on! I'll leave you with a quote Edward Everett Hale that says it best, "I am only one but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will."
Until Next Time,
Be Happy
Sing in the Rain
Christa
P.S. Be sure to follow us on Facebook (Simply Singing in the Rain Blog) for more information on our September giveaway!!!
There have been many days in this month of August that I have just sat myself down and said, "I don't feel like _____ (fill-in-the-blank)." Yet I look out from the couch or my bed and see piles of laundry and dishes that need washing, an ever-growing Pinterest board of craft ideas, and a diary that has laid dormant for just about a year. I am the queen of starting projects and not finishing them. At the present time, I have a patio set of furniture on my balcony that needs sanded down and re-painted and I just haven't felt like doing it so I haven't. Part of it stems from an old back injury that recently flared up because I decided to wear a pair of very high heels all day. Good job Christa! Part of it is because who wants to sit on the balcony on a steaming hot day sanding metal. Not me! The other part of it is because my mental capacity at the end of the workday has been drained. I really don't have the energy to focus on anything but eating dinner and going to bed right now. More on that in another blog post.
I have really challenged myself this year to step up in the ministries of my church. Along with my current job, I am the part-time hospitality director of my church, Pee-Wee club teacher, Christmas Play director, nursery worker, Sunday night piano player, special music soloist, substitute Sunday School teacher, and in general church member. Whew! In the midst of the church goings-on, I restarted my blog and my work has become extra taxing in the last month. The thing is I know I am busy. I know I have a lot to do. I also know that I'm not the type to sit on my hands and say someone should, someone needs to, if someone would just, etc. Yet in June of this year, I was that person. The one who wanted to just get in my car and drive far away to Seattle. I always pick Seattle because when I was younger I wanted to run away at age 18 (I didn't btw) and Seattle looked like a good place. I didn't feel like doing anything else in church, I didn't feel like going to work anymore, and I didn't feel like I wanted to stay in Ohio.
In May of this year, I was given the opportunity to apply for two jobs in Texas. My company is based there and the positions offered were basically my two dream jobs. One dealt with employee engagement while the other was for an Executive Admin Assistant. I interviewed for the employee engagement on first and was eventually told I didn't get the job. That was ok though because I had the opportunity for the other job. This was the one I felt God was leading me too. I asked my family and a few friends to pray. I really felt that God would answer my prayer and I would be moving to Texas soon! Yes I'd leave my friends, family, church, and everything else behind but what an exciting time in life! I've always wanted to live out on my own and I felt that this was the ultimate test. I was willing to give up everything for that dream job. The interviews went smashingly well. After 3 weeks, the e-mail came... I still remember it. They had decided to go with someone else and I wasn't given the position. I was absolutely devastated as I called my mom in tears. I tried to put on a brave face but I know my mom knew how much it hurt. I really wanted it. I really felt that God was leading me. I started to beat myself up for reading the clues wrong, for not working harder, and for only getting an Associates Degree. How stupid could I have been to believe that they would've picked me?!
It all accumulated into June and my heart went out of all ministries in my church. You see I was mentally preparing myself to say goodbye and I had prepared myself so much that I didn't care anymore. I felt like walking into my pastor's office and saying I quit! I quit because all of this hard work and prayer has gotten me nowhere! Yet I couldn't bring myself to do it so I just floated in my little boat acting like I was ok. I just didn't feel like doing anything.
I have a friend who deals with lupus (an autoimmune disease) and many other ailments. In the midst of my life crisis, she posted a glimpse into her daily life and it broke my heart. She lives with daily excruciating pain yet still manages to work, serve in her church, and love on her family. Conviction struck my heart like a knife. I literally gasped when I read her post. Here I am, a mostly healthy person...mad at the world acting like a 2 year old because I didn't get something I wanted. I'm not saying I shouldn't have been disappointed or I shouldn't have cried but I certainly shouldn't have stopped serving God. It was then I decided that I was going to do everything I could to live the abundant life and what better way to start than in the ministry. She didn't do it to "school" others, she meant it for encouragement. Boy did it encourage me. I happy to say as of this week the Christmas play practice is going well, my blog is doing great, and Pee-Wee had a smooth start on Wednesday. God has truly provided and I am blessed.
For you my friends, blog readers, and followers..I want to pass the encouragement on to you. You may not have lots of time but you can do something. All of us are aware that life doesn't deal with us fairly and it sure gets in our way when we want to accomplish our goals. Failure tends to discourage us from doing new things and trying new ways. Don't be discouraged by failure's bumps and dips. Press on! I'll leave you with a quote Edward Everett Hale that says it best, "I am only one but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will."
Until Next Time,
Be Happy
Sing in the Rain
Christa
P.S. Be sure to follow us on Facebook (Simply Singing in the Rain Blog) for more information on our September giveaway!!!
Great quote! Continuing to pray for you on your journey.
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