Full-Time Employment

My original title of this post was Full-Time Work, but then I realized I've always done that.  The news is that I've taken on a full-time job for the first time in 12 years.  It's not in occupational therapy either, to my surprise.

I've known I need to do something more, work-wise.  I've been asking God to show me who I'm called to serve and that my work would be part of that.  The answer has always been--and still is--him first, my family second, and my neighbors third.  That's actually part of what has gotten me up out of bed on the days I've not been working at the school, because I'm called to serve here at home, doing the grunt work I've (enjoyably) been able to dismiss on account of not having enough time to get to it.  So I've been deep-cleaning and organizing and repairing some around the house, as well as working on some relationships I've not had time to invest in for a while.

It's what my heart actually longs to do--serve my family and others primarily in our home, be available to others as they have unexpected need, etc.--but that kind of work doesn't help cover our expenses.  My hope in pursuing OT work has been to make more money by the hour, enabling me to work less hours for more income, freeing me up to serve the way I want.  On my terms.

There's the hitch--it was my plan, albeit a seemingly good and godly plan, to serve others even if it were on my terms--but it was not God's plan.  My Missouri OT license took long enough to come in (oh my stars it took FOREVER!) that the Lord moved other things around and opened up a need for me to fill at our school.  It is full-time, school hours (more time at work), for more than I was making before but much less than my potential as a f/t OT (although I've not even had an interview to begin with, full or part time).  Notice it's the exact opposite of the ideas that we had going into my pursuing a different job this year.  It would be hard to decide to go this route, BUT for GOD.

I'm going to be the school's administrative assistant, replacing Debby Massot, who replaced Laurabeth Medlock if you happen to know her also/instead.  Administratively, there's our Head of School, John Roberts, an Asst. HOS, Ben Essenburg, and me.  It's a big job.  A huge job.  And Debby's shoes are at least as big as Laurabeth's were.  Enormous.  It's my job to do my best through the end of May.

The exciting truth is there are many big perks to this job.  I'll be with my family, in our second home (the school; Brian's also there with us every afternoon for after care).  I'll be working on the kids' schedule for the most part: there when they're in school, off when they're off.  It's an atmosphere where I'm very comfortable: I already know all the kids in the school, and most of the families, since I've been teaching there for 3+ years.  I also worked for Debby this summer, so I have some idea of what it takes to "be Debby."  It's a steady income, and as a f/t employee, I'll have medical insurance and a break in our tuition!  Woo-hoo!  And a way to pay for the rest of it.  So there you have it.  I'm a full-fledged working-for-pay woman.

More later about how this is a practice of dying to self (because I need to "verbally" process it more, not because you can't put it together for yourself).  And how my OT license is good for 2 years, in case the Lord moves us in that direction another time.

ps--I wrote this a few days ago, and I'll tell you I'm even more excited now than I was then.  It's exactly where I'm supposed to be.  I'm thrilled the Lord would put me right here right now.  I'm hiding out this week, meeting friends and going to the art museum by myself, and I'll start shadowing Debby next week.  So more later...