Roller Coaster Ride

You ever feel like you are on a roller coaster and you just want to get off? Well, it has been like that lately in my world. We’ve had a bumpy few weeks. To sum up:

• We started the mortgage approval process about a month ago, after we thought the district was done cutting people due to budget cuts, and things kept getting delayed, which was frustrating.
• Then I found out the school board called an emergency meeting last Wednesday and a position was getting cut.
• Then we had a 10th grader die from an unknown medical condition two weeks ago, Thursday. She was the second one this year to die from the swim team. We’ve had more than our share of deaths at the school this year.
• On Friday, I had to drive kids to Sacramento for a yearbook workshop through a blinding snowstorm in a school vehicle with bad brakes and windshield wipers that did not work correctly.
• Then on Tuesday, I found out it was my position that would be cut.
• On Tuesday night I had agreed to co-facilitate a grief group for the kids from school and anyone else that may have been affected. Although I was dealing with my own shock from my job loss, I was able to give it over to God and be fully present for the group.
• On Wednesday after lunch, the guy from district HR came in to talk to me. I got reassigned to the school up at the lake for next year, so at least I still have a job.
• Then on Wed afternoon I found out I got accepted into an all-expense paid intensive summer program for journalism educators. (I probably won't even be teaching journalism next year, but only 35 out of 431 applicants got selected and I'm really excited to be in that group and learn what I can.)
• On Thursday I was able to share with the kids and select staff members that I had been reassigned and wouldn't return in the fall. I wanted to wait to tell my yearbook kids before I told anyone else, because it will affect them the most. That was a super hard conversation to have with them. I am sorry for them, but know that they will be just fine without me. This will be a life learning experience for them.
• Then on Friday we finally got our pre-approval from the bank. Now we can start looking for a house. We can buy a lot more for our money than we could six months ago, so the prospect of owning a house again is exciting.

It’s definitely been a roller coaster ride, but I actually haven’t been overly stressed about it. At first, when I found out about the possible cut, I just starting praying that no matter what happened, I knew that God was in control. Although I was in total shock when I found out it would be my position that got cut, I was really okay with knowing that God would provide. And he did. All of this happened in a way I would have never expected, or even really wanted. But I am trusting that God has released me from one school for a reason and the new position is where he wants me for now. I know I will be teaching English again, and that is exciting. It will be with jr. high kids which will be a totally new experience for me. I'm going to meet with the principal of the new school next week and I'm looking forward to learning more about my new assignment. Hopefully, the next few weeks won't be filled with so many twists and turns, but even if they are, I am confident that God knows where the roller coaster is going.