November 7, 2016
The future will come. The question is whether or not we will be doing the kind of work we enjoy when it comes.
I read a quote like this some years ago, and it has helped me keep things in perspective. In today’s world finding work that pays well and that you enjoy doing is not easy. While Tracy and I were in the US, we both settled for work that was less than ideal because we needed to take care of our cost of living. It didn’t bother us too much, as we knew that it was only for a season. For a while, we cleaned at Lima Christian School. I joked with Tracy about how it was our exercise program.
Humbly Accepting Your Position
Instead of us paying them money, they paid us. At some points, we both enjoyed doing this as a part time job. My substitute teaching didn’t pay very much and the hours were not always consistent. So finally, I got a job working at Heritage Christian Services, HCS. At first, it was only part time, but my supervisor knew that I wanted full time, and she kept asking the appropriate people in the organization to hire me full time. With time they did. I’m very grateful for the lessons I learned both through working with the staff and with the individuals with disabilities.
Helping the Disabled
Working full time at Heritage Christian Services meant a lot of driving. This was a real struggle for me. Everyday included, 3 to 4 hours of driving (we each had one day off from driving). Prior to taking the job while I was still cleaning at the school, there were times where I used a four wheel cart to complete my work because I didn’t have the strength to stand long enough to do the work without it. Now all of the sitting in the driver’s seat was really hurting my back. I’m sure many of you know what it is like to go through tough times. No one is strong enough to make it through this life on their own. We all need help. At this point in my journey, I met a Physical Therapist named Matt. Sorry I don’t have any pictures of Matt, but he was a big guy.
Matt Dreamed of Playing Basketball Professionally
Unfortunately, during a match in high school, Matt collapsed on the basketball court. He was rushed to the hospital, and the news of what happened ruined his plans to play basketball professionally. Matt had an enlarged heart and it couldn’t handle the level of exertion serious basketball required. Fortunately he lived and suffered serious ill effects. Matt could have been angry and shock his fist at God, but he didn’t. He decided to choose another career path as a physical therapist.
The Future Isn’t Clear
We move out of our apartment in the US in 2 and half weeks. We packed up and gave away our most of our belongs. Without formerly having a job offer. I went to NYC for an TEFL Certificate course. The other students and I put in 50 to 60 hours a week between classroom lectures, workshops, classwork, homework, and lesson planning. It was hard, but without that course I would not have been able to have gotten my NET teaching position. Tracy went on to Hong Kong to find an apartment for us to live in. It was scary but little by little the pieces fell into place.
Challenges
Remember to live today in light of tomorrow. Invest in yourself and invest in others. We do reap what we sow. It might take awhile, but eventually harvest time will come. Now years later, after having first written this article I am doing pretty well physically. I enjoy walking, running and hiking. School isn’t the paradise that I dreamed it would be. Yes, I believe that my work has a positive impact on young people’s lives, but it is hard to see that at times. My relationship with Tracy has gone through a number of ups and downs. I have learned that we are both pretty selfish. Still despite all odds we are still together and we still love each other. I believe that God will use our past struggles. I look forward to a future where we do a better job of supporting each other and blessing other people.
