Today was hard. Early this morning, my fearful thoughts ran something like this:
- What if I called the staffing agency?
- They might demand time I’m not (yet) willing to give and try to make me do something unwanted or want me to put everything else on hold…
- Augh! I don’t want to call! I’m afraid it might start a chain reaction!
- New possibility–>I could get clear on what I’m willing to do.
- Here’s where I get stumped…
- I could call and be willing to set clear boundaries around my availability.
- What about being open to either direction? [i.e., admin assist work and ministry]
- Eek! What I really want to do is some kind of ministry; if I jump into office work, I might get stuck there.
- How do I let go of this fear???
- What are all those presumptions I’m making about these…
A little later, as I did my morning reflection time, the verse that spoke to me was: “Do not judge according to appearance…” (John 7:24) I thought about my present circumstances. I’m staying at my aunt & uncle’s because I don’t have the money to actually pay rent, no matter how low. My monthly paycheck from my part-time job lets me pay some of my bills and buy some food and gas. I sort of get by. If it weren’t for the occasional financial gift from friends and the like, I don’t know how I’d make it at all. All this is to say that this is a very rough patch for me at the moment.
The challenge with looking for work is that because of my financial need, I don’t feel free to pursue the work I’m passionate about because it doesn’t come in a neat package with a regular paycheck. I’m also on this intentional journey to break through my fears, and finding employment is one of the scariest things for me. Right now, things appear really bleak and, from the outside,it might look like I’m doing almost nothing to change my situation. But the truth is, I know I’m doing some of the hardest work there is.
Still, the financial piece has made it hard for me to relax and simply get on with the stuff (I don’t know how to do very well yet) that could lead to improving my financial situation. I attended an interview workshop today. It was very helpful, even though it triggered my fears as well.
Later, shortly before I met with my sponsor, I was reading the preface and intro in Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses, an Al-Anon publication. It was timely to read about grief when I’ve had these bubbles of grief trying to rise to the surface. I especially liked what it said on page 7 – that I don’t have to confront everything all at once and I can be patient and gentle with myself, trusting that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. That’s worth rereading for me.
My sponsor unwittingly helped me get the tears rolling. (Thanks be!) She named and affirmed that things are hard for me right now and that it’s okay to say that it’s hard. I don’t have to pretend that it’s not. I so needed to cry…
I appreciated coming across something I wrote a year ago that’s helpful for me now: “The process of healing is not likely to be a straight line.“ It was a relief to recognize this. When I feel afraid, I feel like I’ve lost faith, like I don’t trust God to take care of me. My sponsor reminded me that God knows how hard this is for me and my feelings of fear are a normal, human response to the very real challenges I’m facing. I’m so grateful that it’s okay to be human and that healing is happening even when I don’t yet see the results.
My action step(s):
- Attending an interview workshop.
- Doing some research on chaplaincy positions/requirements.
- Testing and improving my skills on MS Word and Excel 2007.
- Meeting with my sponsor.
- Letting go my self-imposed need to work tomorrow (when I’ve already fulfilled my hours for the week).
Having the Courage to Change 