Plans (and How They Change)

Finally, an update on my own life. I've been blog lazy, what can I say? Too much real life happenings, not enough internet telling time. 

I guess the big thing that is going on is that a full-time position opened up at Covenant House. I was encouraged to apply for it, and I did. A week after I applied, I was asked to come in for an interview. Then a few hours later at work, another per diem employee stopped in to fill out the same job application. I was nervous at that point because the job is for the boys team, and for obvious reasons, male staff, in my mind, would be preferred. As this particular per diem employee is, in fact, male, I thought for sure that the job would go to him. I was a little disappointed at the fictional outcome that I created in my mind, but it didn't take long for me to create a "Plan B." 

I found out about an orphanage in Haiti, that is in dire need of financial donations as well as volunteers. It is run by a selfless, God-loving woman, along the North Haiti-Dominican boarder, roughly 9 hours away from Port-Au-Prince. She was asked to receive orphans that survived the quake, or became newly orphaned after the quake. Like any determined and faith-filled missionary, she said yes. To 200 orphans. She has no idea where they'll sleep or how she'll feed them, but she said yes. After visiting her website (www.danitaschildren.org) and a website created for the post-quake help she'll need (www.helpdanita.org), I decided that if I didn't get the full time position, I'll continue working per diem and have the flexibility to take 2 weeks off to go to Haiti to help. 

Plan B was set. I was getting excited. I felt peace that whatever the outcome, I would be ok and have something to look forward to. To be honest, I was leaning a little bit more towards Plan B, as I really feel the need to help Haiti in their time of distress. 

So my interview came at 9 am Friday morning, and it went well. It was one of the easiest and most pleasant interviews I've had, which is probably due to the fact that I already work there and know the person interviewing me. She told me that I'd hear from HR by Tuesday.

After the interview, I went home and made plans to visit a friend in Virginia for a few days, from Tuesday to Friday. We were both really pumped about the visit. I've felt the urge lately to do something sporadic and random, so this trip would do the trick. 

Not 10 minutes after I finalized plans to go to Virginia, my phone rang. It was Covenant House. They offered me the job. 3 hours after my interview. I accepted. They want me to start on Monday.

I was really surprised. I thought for sure that Mr. Per Diem was getting the job. I thought for sure that I was going to Haiti. I know I'm crazy, but I have to admit, I was (and still am) a little disappointed that I can't go now. Obviously this is where God wants me right now, and the timing is still not there for me to go to Haiti (a dream I've had since 2003). I am very excited about the job and finally having a full-time position (and salary!), it's just funny how these things work out. 

Then I realized that I have to cancel my trip to Virginia, since I'll be in the full time schedule. That was a little disappointing, too, but again, it just wasn't the right time I guess. Who knows why, but I have to trust that God's plan is better than mine. 

So now that I legitimately am a working woman, I have to shuffle my life around to fit my new work schedule, which essentially eliminates any hopes for a social life. But it's ok, it's what I need to do and where I need to be right now. The reality of being a real adult now has started to set it, and it hasn't been that nice to me. I think I have a phobia of commitment. Working per diem helped facilitate that phobia, as my schedule was unpredictable and unstable. As long as I had that instability, I felt like the "real world" was in the far distance. I  realize how ridiculous I sound in this, but the transition from dependent to independent has not been an easy road for me, especially since I'm 25 and still living at home.  

So here's another step in the independent direction. Not sure how it'll go, but I have no choice. This is the life God has given me, and I'm honored to live it, even when it doesn't go exactly (if at all!) how I planned. (And it usually doesn't!) 

Though the book is far from over, one more page in the interim is turned.