Winter chill has started in South Africa. Tonight I finally caved and turned on my space heater for the first time this winter. It still feels odd to think of it being fall/winter in May, but in a land where Santa shows up in the middle of summer... anything goes! The changing seasons metaphor (though often overused) is appropriate in so many ways for this time of life.
So this is a new record for blog-slacker-dom I think - over 2 months... sorry 'bout that! Much of the delay has been because life has been full of changes, good changes, but ones that I needed to let settle a bit before sending off into cyber-space.
In a nutshell, during the first week of March, I submitted my resignation at Acres. It was so hard to do, but I know that it was where God led, and so I followed. March was full of handing things over to the staff who will remain (Beth stepped down as well, so it's been a huge change for the team here) and hard conversations with house parents and kids, letting them know that I would be leaving. The kids have had so many people come and go in their lives, and have asked me so many times since moving to South Africa if I was here forever. My answer was always "I'm here for however long God tells me to be here, and I would LOVE it if that was forever!" Thankfully, I was able to explain the reasons I needed to step down in a way that the older kids could understand, though there were plenty of tears as well. And the little ones have no idea that my job is any different because they still see me often :o) Since the beginning of April, I've been spending time with the kids as a volunteer while I seek out what God has for me next. I think it's been good for the older kids to see that I've kept my promise that I would still see them, that it was never a job, always just because I loved being with them.
I've been job hunting in South Africa because it's my prayer and hope that I will be able to stay here. I still feel called to South Africa, the passions that God has given me are here, and my life really is here now too. The timeline I've given myself is to look for a job in South Africa until the end of May, when finanaces will start to run low. If something hasn't come along at that point, I'll head back to the States in early June and continue the search from there. I've made some great contacts here, and am in the running for one position that I would absolutely love, so I'm praying that it happens!
For those of you who know me well, you know that I don't always handle change gracefully (or, rather, I do okay on the outside but turn into a bit of a basketcase for my best friends! :oP ) so this is a season of change that I am praying God will allow to be fairly smooth, just as it was when I moved here. I am trusting that where God has led, He will provide, sometimes it just takes a little extra reminding...
But for tonight, I am thankful for how amazing my life is. That I have generous parents who continually offer to let their 20-something daughter sleep in their house again if needed :o) For better friends then I ever could have dared to ask for. For the opportunities I've had to do what I've done with my life. For the grace of God that provides and covers it all... And for the space heater that has made my bedroom so cozy on this cold South African night where I know, just down the road, there is a man at the end of the highway off-ramp who kneels barefoot between the cars in shorts and a tank top, too ashamed to make eye contact with anyone passing by, hoping for just enough to make it through tomorrow. Every day is grace...
