Weekend Surrender

Right now I noticed that it's almost the same time as it was last week when I was writing -- just before 6 AM. I slept until 5:15. When I got up I heard my alarm clock going off. It was still set for 4:45 and was beeping in a bag that I'd carried in from the car last night. Now it's silenced until Monday. I'm so glad.

I spent another week in the Twin Cities, working my split shifts and doing what I could to help mom and dad a little as I stay in their guest room. Toni and I are taking care of other details and planning as well, planning and working and connecting with others mostly about our housing situation. We are hoping to move to the Roseville area later in August or sometime in the beginning of September.

We're looking for others live in a part of a home with us -- we found a split level house for rent that would be pretty ideal to share because it has separate spaces for Toni and I (upstairs) and another group (downstairs). The cost is a lot more than we can handle on our own. If you know anyone who would prefer to live in a house instead of an apartment, let us know.

Whoever it is would need to be able to sign a sub-lease agreement and commit to paying part of our rent for the school year or more. The place we're looking at is close to Northwestern and Bethel Universities... students, young adults or families are invited to connect with us about sharing. Toni and I are looking forward to this sharing arrangement!

After I pulled the articulated bus into Haywood garage at about 8 yesterday evening, having completed my late afternoon-early evening 355 and 675C bus routes, I saw one of our instructors and spent some time talking with him about the job, the pay, future prospects and some other things. He's one of the many greatly helpful individuals I've met at Metro Transit.

One thing I found out in our conversation is that moving to full time would not only mean losing weekends off, but it would also mean having two days off a week that aren't together. He said, for example, that my days off might end up being Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wow. I don't think I'd like that at all.

Fortunately, "split" days off only end up going to those who are the lowest in seniority. After some time, perhaps a year or two, I'd be able to get a couple days off in a row. That's how it is in the seniority system that I've entered in this "second career" that I think of as a kind of "tentmaking."

"Tentmaking, in general, refers to the activities of any Christian who, while dedicating him or herself to the ministry of the Gospel, receives little or no pay for Church work, but performs other ('tentmaking') jobs to provide support. Specifically, tentmaking can also refer to a method of international Christian evangelism in which missionaries support themselves by working full-time in the marketplace with their skills and education, instead of receiving financial support from a Church. The term comes from the fact that the apostle Paul supported himself by making tents while living and preaching in Corinth (Acts 18:3)." (from an article in Wikipedia)

For now, though, I've got this precious time off. I'd like to use some of it to share here. I'm experiencing so much these days and I think at least some of it is worth sharing.

...

As I contemplate the blessings and the difficulties of these days, and as I spend quiet time this morning, I was led to these verses:

"It is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another." Psalm 75:7

and

"Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just!" Revelation 16:7

I haven't taken time yet to read these verses in context (they are the "Moravian Daily Texts" for today), but they do point to a truth that has been on my mind a lot lately. It is God who is ultimately in control -- and it's best if I can recognize that and surrender, trusting His purposes for my life. If, at some point, that means surrendering my weekends and the "right" to two days off in a row, God will make it work out for the best.

Also, it means, at this point in my young career as a bus operator, that it's good for me to surrender any worry I have about performance evaluations and potential upcoming conversations with "managers" at the bus garage. I've done my best in driving and in the other duties associated with this job, but there is always room for improvement. I don't mind noticing mistakes and learning from them, but what I don't like is not knowing if others have seen mistakes I've made -- and if those others will end up "calling me into the office." Uff da.

But if I'm going to live this part of my life in faith, I just need to trust that God is going to make things work out for good as Toni and I love God and are called according to his purpose. And, of course, always, I will rely on the grace of God in our Lord Jesus, who gave his life so that I might live and love in His name, wherever I am.

Time to go back to bed for awhile. I'm thankful for that too.

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