I knew that packing day was coming this month...but it seemed so far away. I hadn't really planned to move until grad school was over and the "just right" job appeared...wherever it appears. However, the clinical phase of my degree is taking far longer to complete than I ever dreamed and is requiring that I be away from home more than at home. No matter how hard I tried, I could no longer rationalize paying bills at home and living all over the country for the remainder of my school time. (My home has become a very expensive storage locker!) So, I'm not renewing my lease at the apartment I've really enjoyed living in for the past 4+ years, and I'm movin' on....
I've usually had the luxury of time when I've decided to move and I could take my time packing, but since I have to be out by the end of the month, time is not on my side. I am so grateful that four of my friends came last Saturday to help me pack, and I'm guessing that by the time we finished, the five of us had gotten about 50-60% of the packing done! Pretty good, considering we worked at it hard for about 6 hours! I now have just under 2 weeks to get the remainder packed, along with some remaining schoolwork, and then I can resume clinicals. Because I don't know where the "just right" job will be when this journey is over, I'm storing everything (that I don't either take with me or keep at my mom's house) at a U-Haul facility. Then, off I'll go to Oklahoma City!
Yesterday, I was reading Joshua 1:9 in the Complete Jewish Bible. In this translation, the verse reads as follows: "Haven't I ordered you, 'Be strong, be bold"? So don't be afraid or downhearted, because ADONAI your God is with you wherever you go." The following was my reflection on this Scripture....
"The word 'ordered' in the verse above surprised me, but on thinking back, I remembered the word I'm familiar with (in that spot -- different translation) is 'commanded'. Same difference...but it made me stop and think a bit. I have been...well, not so much afraid as downhearted about leaving my apartment. I never did get to organize it and decorate it as I really wanted to and always pictured in my mind's eye. Maybe it will happen the next time around...but now I see I have orders...any good nurse knows what to do with orders! I believe God will go (is going) before me and will be with me wherever I go...."
