November has passed us by, and with it the hype and hullabaloo about which candidate should be elected. Also past is the Thanksgiving feast, and our brief nod to gratefulness between ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Dear Santa’. Glad to see one go, notsomuch the other.
The school note has come due. It was arranged in two loans, thus there are two individually manageable bills which, due together, are not so manageable. I’m working on adjusting that, but the adjustments entail an increase to the overall debt.
I’m still employed in North Indiana, in the human services field. I’ve learned a lot, some of which is bouncing around in pre-blog status, and all of that pertaining to aspects of our relationship with God. The job just went full time, which means I’ll begin receiving benefits in six months.
The employment schedule has (again) interrupted the association schedule. I’m no longer part of the Wednesday night Bible Studies, unavailable for the monthly Deaf Outdoor Club camping trips, and scheduled out of the monthly ladies prayer meeting. I carefully kept my days open for the two home Bible studies, one of which is on hold while that person is out of town, and one of which is going to shift in format because that person is moving to Chicago. I’ve begun efforts to be more involved with the outreach ministry of our church, and managed to let circumstances get in the way of successfully completing my first two assignments. We have a new Christian who is currently being mentored, and I may be providing short-term assistance in a couple of months. I was also reminded that someone else can pick up that role if I’m not available. My invisible detractors are having a lot of fun with all of the above.
It’s time to find another roof, preferably closer to my worksite, and definitely within budget. Most of November has been given to a diligent search in three directions: apartment (with or without roommate), boarding, or tiny housing. The tiny house idea has also branched off in three directions: fresh construction on a trailer, conversion of an existing RV, and conversion of a box truck. In short, the only option that is locally available and financially feasible is immensely distasteful to those who are concerned with my safety & comfort. One more boarding option is under the homeowner’s consideration at this time.
There is, of course, a very affordable roof available to me in central Ohio. This would entail resigning the job only two months after beginning it. It would also mean a shift in the relationships and ministries developed here. It means, you may have guessed, returning home – with all the accompanying Bedford Falls paradigms.
At the moment, I’m feeling a bit like George, having just walked out of Potter’s office on the edge of accepting a tempting offer, and yet realizing he’d just closed the last door to successful resolution of his impending problem – that being a bank examiner and a lack of funding. Now, if I can only figure out which body of water I can expect to find Clarence splashing around in these days…
It may well be time to move on, and I’m giving the thought much consideration and prayer. My objective remains introducing deaf people to Jesus before they leave the planet or I do. My hurdle remains the realities of living on this planet, with its weather patterns and economy and politics, given the mind and body that is mine. Survival is the watch-word of the month, and is consistently (for me) met with the verse “whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will save it”. So, do I return to the comforts of home where the field is ripe and there are many reapers, or do I continue trying to get into the fields that are planted more sparsely, just as ripe, and with few to no workers?
Jesus, here I am, send me…somewhere among deaf people…and hook me up with a roof (and an income). You’ve promised to do all of the above, and I’m taking Your Word for it.