A Mission from God

I was sitting in my first day of orientation at work and a sweet Sister came forward to talk to us about the origin of the Catholic Hospital I would now be working in. My mind instantly went to back to my childhood with Sisters Mary Digna and Philotheia who were actual blood sisters who served God together. They have since passed away, but they were used very early on in my search for Christ and remained deeply close to me all through college. I was drawn in by this Sister's heart and had to listen to every word she shared.

The hospital I am working at was founded by the Daughters of Charity, which can be traced back to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton--the first United States citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. She is the Patron Saint for Catholic Education, as she started the very first Catholic school in Maryland. This sticks out to me greatly because my mother named my sister and I after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton by our middle names. The only difference is my middle name she liked better with an "e" on the end. I always grew up knowing this, so when I heard this Sister talk about the origins of the hospital being traced back to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, I got really, really excited!

We were told that we were at the hospital to serve the Lord by serving the sick. To some, this could be very scandalous to hear your employer tell you this the very first day you started on the job; not to me. Inside my heart was dancing at the thought that my everyday job was actually a true calling from the Lord! The Sister went on to share with us there were six areas the hospital really wanted to instill into their employees: service, reverence, integrity, wisdom, creativity, and dedication. She gave us an acronym to remember these, "Serving Really Is Worshiping Christ Daily." She went on to say that our mission here is really worshiping Christ and that's important because we need to be rooted in Jesus as our healer so that we can serve the Lord by serving the sick. My heart skipped a bit at the thought that my job was much more than a job . . . but a calling.

The second day of orientation, we got to hear from the head of the nursing department. This lady was really neat to hear speak, so I took a lot of notes. One thing she said parallel what the Sister said the day before, "Your attitude will set the tone here. This is the first hospital in this city that was founded by the Daughters of Charity. This means, we don't want you to come to work thinking of it as just another job. You are actually on a mission from God to serve the sick. This should be your attitude every single day you come to work, no matter what happens at home." I had goosebumps then and I have goosebumps now! How amazing it is for my top boss to challenge me to have an attitude of service to God while at work!

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the concept of working for the Lord. This concept has never been foreign to me in any job I have ever been in previously and I would strive to do it, but this is the first time an employer of mine actually expects me to have this mindset. As a result, this has been a spiritual challenge as well as an employment challenge. Paul talked about this same concept in his book of Colossians. I will be memorizing this passage:

"Whatever you do, work heartily, 

as for the Lord and not for men,

knowing that from the Lord 

you will receive the inheritance as your reward. 

You are serving the Lord Christ."

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)

Gary, My New Best Friend

Gary and I first met in the Electronics Department of Walmart in Woodbury, MN. I was unsure of my purchase, but Gary seemed to be a symbol of hope in a box. I was thrilled the price was cheaper than I expected, so I brought Gary home. Over the next few days, I programmed Gary with addresses and locations I would use on my route to Texas. I am happy to report, Gary never once got me lost!

Now that I have been in Texas for a few days, Gary continues to guide me and get me from point A to point B with no troubles at all! I'm very thankful for this because I don't understand the road system in Texas at all! None of it makes a bit of sense, except for the I-35 signs--those I know will lead me back to Minnesota!

I realized the other day that if I had not gotten Gary, I pretty much would not be able to drive around the town of Waco. There's way too many one-way signs than I would ever care to see. There's also a spider of roads that seem to go in every single direction. I also have no sense of direction here--I can't tell where Mexico is and where Canada should be! It's really, really sad!

Just like I'm thankful I have Gary to guide and direct me, I'm learning how much more I need God to do the same. There's so much in a new town, new state, new job, new church, and new life that can be a struggle. I'm learning so much to tap into God, prayer, and the Bible to guide and direct me in my new place. A Garmin was manmade after all, but God is eternal!

A Million Steps in One Day

Perhaps the most daunting part about moving is unloading the boxes to your new place. I don't know why, but everywhere I have moved to has involved stairs going up or down to my new place. My new home in Texas is no exception!

I was given a tour of the house and shown where my new room was. I also met a couple housemates and one of my two roommates. Then, I started unloading box after box after box. Stair after stair after stair after stair after.... I suppose you get the picture? Anyways, later on that night while I laid in my bed exhausted and sore from my move, I went back to every step I climbed.

A million steps? Well, that's probably an exaggeration. I would say I definitely achieved more than the 10,000 steps recommended in a day! Each step involved my body forcing against gravity to rise up to another height, climbing higher and higher. What goes up, must come down as well. I eventually would go down as much as I would go up. I'm exhausted just remembering it! As I lay in bed recalling this, I got a random thought. . .

My life is full of rises and falls, ups and downs . . . I still move forward; I still press on. I was encouraged to remember this as this new season was upon me. Rises and falls and ups and downs will all still come, along with leg cramps and blisters on your feet. Press on.

Missouri-Oklahoma Border

As I was traveling down here, I started thinking a lot about states and who created the borders of one ending and another starting. Even counties? Whose job was it to declare the crazy mess of the east side of the Twin Cities and the random shapes of those counties. Martin County in southern Minnesota is nice and square and I always thought every county was like that, but they aren't. Who picked the shapes of the states? Why is Minnesota shaped so oddly and Michigan is like a hand? I have random thoughts often . . .Then, the phone rang!

I was greeted on the phone by a potential supervisor who informed me that there were some changes in the timeline for me to be able to start on March 2nd like we had hoped. As a result of this, she called to hire me and offer me a position! As I listened to her offer and tried not to scream her eardrum out, I was greeted with a "Welcome to Oklahoma" sign! I accepted her offer, talked briefly, and then we ended the call.

I found myself praising God and thanking Him for His provision. You see, there's always people on the sidelines of my life who think I'm crazy, who aren't the most supportive, and who like to point out ways something I'm thinking of doing won't pan out. I used to stop doing what I was doing the moment these people scoffed at an idea. This time was different.

Instead of hesitating, I sought the Lord first. Then, over time, I sought out Godly counsel of trustworthy individuals who knew my God and knew me, people I have given the right to mentor me and guide me. I also ran the idea by some of my closest girlfriends. I was sure God's hand was in this move, but to move without a job secured from one end of the country to the other was scary. I knew God had a plan for me, I never doubted.

There was great peace as I crossed the border into Oklahoma on Saturday, February 21st. I not only had a place to live, but a job as well . . .

 More importantly, I also had a vision of what God was going to do and it was confirmed while I was en route, stepping out in faith!

Packing Up Your Life . . .

I really wasn't thinking when I procrastinated packing until the last week left. I always put off packing to the last possible minute though. I think I do it because the task is very overwhelming. This time was different though . . . I felt like I was packing up my life and squeezing it into a tiny little car. Oh wait . . . This is EXACTLY what I was doing!

If you ever move, I think you should have LOTS of space saver bags! I seriously LOVE them! Not only can I go on a trip for a whole week and take a tons of clothes in a carry on, but I was able to fit my entire closet worth of clothes into my front seat area and STILL see my mirror and the window! When I did run out of room in my car, the giant dirty clothes vacuumed together did NOT make it on the trip. I figured, why do laundry right away?

One thing that God put on my heart while I was packing is how blessed I am to have stuff. I am blessed to be clothed, have boxes of things I can pull out and remember those who have died, and to also have things which bring me happiness to look at. There's many people who are homeless and others who have nothing. God's really blessed me!
As I was packing, I also recalled memories of packing up and going to college. I took a car full and just left my little town of East Chain, never looking back. Here I was 15 years later packing up my stuff and traveling off to Texas. It hit me how monumental this action is in my life . . . it's a new season . . . a new beginning.
I'm not really packing up my life . . . 
I'm driving into a new life, 
a new chapter of what God has in store for me.