New Job, New Lifestyle, etc...

My God has been good to me. So so good.

His timing has yet again proved perfect. He provided for me an opportunity through a series of events I could not have planned, or executed, in any way shape or form.

You see, I searched tirelessly for a job as a teacher in this city, since long before I even made the official decision to move. They need teachers in New York, right? It's a big city, lots of kids, lots of needs.

Enter hiring freeze.

A few days after my official decision to move was made, the NYC Department of Education issued a freeze that has yet to be lifted. What this means, is that, for the past year, not only have I not been able to get a job through the normal outlets, but everyone else who wants to be a teacher in this city was competing for the coveted private and charter school spots. My limited experience and lack of a masters degree put me in the bottom of that pool.

I did not allow discouragement to enter my heart. Romans 8:28, pretty much my life verse, tells us that all things happen for the good of those who are called according to his purpose. Believing that, I coated the situation in prayer.

While I was still teaching at Worley, I had a revelation one night, that despite my many attempts to reason why I COULDN'T go into ministry full-time, God was calling me to do so, and he would provide the way.

Enter Graffiti.

I moved here for a church. Unlike most people who move here with friends, or for a job, or because they had nothing better to do, I quit my job and moved here for a church. I felt no doubt in that decision. I prayed through it significantly, and here I am.

So, because I prayed for it, God's supposed to provide the job part right?

WELL, He didn't.... or at least, not in the way I had expected him to, and because of his unique way of getting me through, I learned more about myself, and EVEN MORE about God and his beautiful ways.

I'm more thankful for the past year than I can express in any sort of words.

BECAUSE I was working so many different and inconsistent jobs, God had to provide for me in really unique ways. This enabled me to see his little miracles in a way that I cannot deny this was all a part of his plan (see previous blog posts for examples...).

BECAUSE I was not employed full-time at any one place, my time was flexible. This meant I had more ability to adjust my schedule to work with Graffiti.

BECAUSE I had time to work at Graffiti, I was able to be there for the youth through a major transition, which, I feel like, made things go a bit smoother than they might have otherwise.

BECAUSE I worked with Graffiti all year, as opposed to just last summer, God solidified a calling in me. I now know that through his power, and not my own, I can manage to be in full-time ministry, and have submitted myself to that life.

And now, after all of that, among many many other things, NOW I have the job teaching. He said, "My child, here is an opportunity, take it, use it to get yourself stable financially, prepare your life for a future in service, and learn more."

This job came to me after I had stopped looking. I decided that I was perfectly okay with the fulfillment of his provision as I had been for the last year, and I stopped going out of my way to search. I was assigned to this school ONCE last year, and several weeks later, they did a book fair at my Barnes and Noble. I met the principal again, she remembered me, and asked for my resume. (note how BOTH of my other jobs were necessary for this scenario to have occurred)

I lost her email address, waited almost two months to respond, expected I'd never hear from her (as I hadn't heard from a single principal I'd emailed all year), and didn't.

at first.

But then, several weeks later, she called me in for a last-minute demo lesson, which, thanks to my awesomely flexible job, I was given last-minute time off to prepare. Then, I didn't hear from her....

I resolved myself to all the reasons why this was probably not a part of God's plan for my life. The hours would be crazy, I wouldn't be able to spend nearly as much time at Graffiti, I wouldn't have time to spend with him, etc...

Then she called.

I received an offer I couldn't pass up. Not only that, it's in a neighborhood I've fallen in love with over the past several months, as I practically live there and go running there almost daily. It's walking distance from my apartment, which is also a plus. That said, it's the home to the largest public housing facility in the country, is notorious for it's gang life, and the poverty level is EXTREMELY high. They need the love of Jesus.

I'm really praying through the ways God can use this for his Glory, and I how I can be intentional about that, whether it be through my relationships with my co-workers, through how I best steward the income he's provided to prepare myself for a future in his service, etc... whatever it may be, his timing is PERFECT and beautiful and awe-inspiring.

He also, because of using such perfect timing, and overcoming my jaded attitude, has taught me about his timing in other parts of my life as well, and has removed a bit of my overly jaded attitude in one particular aspect of my livelihood.

"Thank you Lord, for all you do. You are so incredible and your detailed craftsmanship astounds me daily. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this grand adventure and beautiful story. You don't need me, but I certainly need you, and I feel privileged to be a part of it all. Your grace is amazing, and covers me in my weaknesses and doubts. Please don't ever let me doubt you, or your mercies, and keep my focus on your will. Holy holy holy are you Lord. Amen"

Dave Barnes Lyrics

I've been skipping this song on my iPod since the album came out in April because I don't usually like Johnny Lang, BUT i finally listened to it and it is BEAUTIFUL. Now I walk down the street jammin and singing to the Lord like crazy. I am sharing these lyrics:

"What I Need"
I got a head full of dreams
And time here to scheme.
This ain't good

I'm thinking, you know
About what did and didn't go
Like it should

All of these expectations
Just mean my heart will be breaking
Why can't I see?

You give me what I need
Even on the brightest day
Even in a hurricane

You give me what I need
Even when there's way too much
Even when I'm down to dust

I troubled with time
But it's will was not mine
There's no slowin', where it was going

The wishes I willed
All came back fulfilled
I was praying, without patience

All of those expectations
Just meant my heart was breaking
Why can't I see?

I keep calm, carry on
Like nothing ever went wrong
That's what I'm gonna do
Laugh it off, move along
Get back where I belong
Live my life by leaning on you

Returned Blessings

I've had time for a social life lately. This has been amazing. In the midst of that, I've had much more time to spend in the Lower East Side. This has provided opportunity after opportunity to try new places, see new faces, and really plug into the neighborhood of my beloved church. It has also made me have a strong itch to move into the area. This is one of my most recent prayers: that God would provide a way for me to have affordable housing near Graffiti, as I have really, more than ever, seen the importance lately of living near my church. I'm starting to see people we minister to out and about, and have also had the opportunity to open up conversation with some folks who are really interested in what goes on there. It's been beautiful.

Tonight, I had an experience that really shook up the way I feel about what I do at Graffiti, in a good way.

Mackenzie and I had decided to spend the night shopping for cupcakes and visiting Chris at work, but when we met up after my super-awesome mani/pedi/massage time, she was hungry for dinner. Me, having just had my nails done, and knowing we were going for both cupcakes and ice cream, suggested we get something cheap and light.

We ended up at the neighborhood favorite, Odessa. I've been there a thousand times, and each time I love how it makes me feel at home. How I feel like I have a place where the faces are familiar and the food is comfortable.

After ordering our dinner, in walked Eddie. Eddie is a guy who is at Graffiti's Wednesday Night Meal every week, and has been since long before I was at Graffiti. If he goes missing for a little while, I make sure I give him a hard time about it. We tease each other often. As he sat down, I shouted across the diner, "Hey Eddie, are you in here to cause trouble?" He turned and made some sarcastic remark I couldn't make out (Eddie is sometimes really hard to understand). We talked across the restaurant a few more times during dinner, making jokes, cutting up.... At one point, I saw him pointing at me and Mackenzie and whispering something to the waiter . I joked, "Eddie, what on earth kinda trouble you trying to start??? Who you telling that guy about us??!!"

"Aww hush," he responded. "Nothing, I'm not telling him nothing."

I found myself at one point wondering "Hmm, maybe it'd be nice if we paid for Eddie's dinner, I mean, he comes to our free meals and those sorts of things, it might be nice to cover his check for him." Judgmental of me, I guess, assuming that eating out was probably something he couldn't afford to do. After all, it's really not something I could afford to do.

As Eddie stood up to leave, Mackenzie and I were still waiting on the waiter to bring us our bill. She had slipped away for a second, and Eddie turned to me and said "Don't you worry about your food, neither of you, I got it covered." Puzzled, I looked at him and said, "huh?" (like I said, sometimes Eddie's hard to understand).

"I said, both of you, your meal is paid for, don't worry about it."

As he walked out the door, I looked at the waiter and said "Did that guy just buy us dinner?"

"Yeah, he did," said the man at the counter.

All these years of ministering to this person, and on a night when I was worried about dinner because I'd spent my money on something frivolous (mani/pedi/massage, remember?), he buys me a meal. My heart was bursting. I cannot believe that here I was, worried about him paying for his own bill, then worried about mine, and he covered both. It's amazing how God takes the little things we do and turns them into blessings.

Lots of people have bought me food over the years. Many times, it has been meaningful, and at times of need, but no meal that was purchased for my by any other person has ever meant as much as this one.

I want to ride my bicycle

After a year of living in New York, I have FINALLY begun biking again!

I have had the bike itch since I moved, seeing as how it's pretty much one of the best-equipped cities for bicyclers in America, but I never had the resources to purchase a bike. Thanks to a generous friend who just happened to own a bike that still had the tags on it, I am now a bike-owner.

Sunday, I picked up said bike in Harlem. I then proceeded to ride it down the East River to the Queensboro Bridge, then came the adventeure: Second Avenue. The bike map is a bit confusing, and the bike paths in midtown Manhattan are not well-marked, so I ended up riding from 59th to 14th via 2nd Avenue. Fortunately, New York drivers are much more biker conscious than those in Baton Rouge, so it wasn't as dangerous as it could have been.

After a stop to thank the previous owner and return his apartment keys to him, I rode down the river some more, under the FDR (where I had a minor spill), and then to the Brooklyn Bridge. I forced the little bit of energy I had left to get me over the bridge, and managed to get home safely. The whole trip from Harlem to Carroll Gardens took about two hours. I'm hoping that as I get into better shape and my legs warm up to biking with hills, I will be much faster.

Our Graffiti Staff Fun Day was in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this morning, so yet again, I ventured out on my new toy to Prospect Park. I really have to say that I LOVE Brooklyn in ways I cannot describe. I am very proud to live here. It's one of those places that really sticks with you if you let it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Graffiti family, then I browsed the main branch of the Public Library before taking a mini-tour of Prospect Park and its trails. I am now pretty exhausted, as my body is still not quite used to all this biking, but I'm excited about the new places I will get to explore. Exploring is so much easier when done on wheels :)

So here's to a new adventure as a Brooklyn Bicycler! (thanks to Dr. Chris)

One year

So, I made it. I survived one year in New York City. I fully intended to update as soon as that happened, but as we all know, my life is INSANELY busy. The little time I have to update I chose to do other things. Seeing as how my readership is down to like, zero anyway, I don't think any of you (or YOU, singular), really cares all that much. That said, I'm going to try to be more faithful.

So a few things the Lord has taught me in this up and down year:

1. Home will ALWAYS be New Orleans. In the words of Dee-1 and Shamaar Allan: "Whereva you put me 504 home." The cool thing about that is, God has allowed me to go home so many times that I know that no matter where he's placed me, home is always there waiting on me.

2. Faith. Faith. Faith. Sounds so cliché but its so true. When I moved here, I had no idea how I would survive. I figured God would give me a job. When he didn't give me a job in the way I thought he would, I panicked. That said, I knew he was on top of things. With the exception of a few truly difficult weeks in August, I never lost hope. I knew he had something waiting in the wings. Then, when he did provide, he provided in an unforeseen way that allowed me to still be at Graffiti WAY more than if I had a classroom of my own. Job-wise, not ideal, but in terms of recognizing the true reason he called me here, AFFIRMING. That was exactly what I needed, and I am thankful.

3. Above all PATIENCE. I've always been one to rush my life. Run run run, it's one of the reasons I moved here. Things move at a faster pace, one that keeps up with my way ADD brain (which can't focus on the same thing for long enough to settle). I have a whole list of things I feel like I should have done by now, and I've always stressed myself out trying to get them done. I feel like by this time, I should have a five-year plan that works, a man in my life who could potentially be there forever, a pretty steady job..... I should have been to Europe, I should have an idea of when I'm going back to New Orleans. I need to move back to New Orleans before it's "too late." Etc... Etc... Etc.... but the truth is HE IS IN CONTROL no matter how long it takes for some of his answers to unfold. Instead of building up unnecessary stress in MY brain and body, I can turn it ALL over to him. All of it. And he's got me covered. There is no reason to rush. I'm young. He's gonna take care of it. I should just enjoy the ride.

Those are a few of the top things he's shown me, but there are MANY MANY MANY more. I just know that if I started trying to put them all down, I'd lose track. Easily. So there, in a nutshell, the biggest lessons.