Just Call Me Miss M

When I graduated college last year, I started working as a sports reporter for an online publication. I truly loved my job, though it was rather time consuming and pretty much became my life. So, when I found out we were going out of business, I was very disappointed, but also had a weird feeling of relief.

The only problem was that now I was going to have to move back home and find another job.

I decided I wanted to pursue teaching. I have always wanted to be a teacher and a coach, but I think I had to try the sports reporting thing first. At least now I won't ever sit back and wonder what might have been. Anyway, I started working again at the city rec center where I worked while I was in college and enrolled in a teaching certification program in hopes of being able to start teaching in the upcoming 2008 school year. But, after going to a few teacher job fairs in the area, I began to get a little discouraged. Most of the representitives there told me I was pretty much leftovers and shouldn't hear anything—if at all—until late july or early august. After all, teachers with alternative certification were like the fat kids with a nose-picking problems in dodgeball: always chosen last. What made the situation even harder was the fact that I can't teach anything but journalism in my first year, because that's what my certification field is. There aren't as many journalism openings as things like math, science, english, history...well, you get the point.

I was trying so hard to trust God and His plan in my life, but let's be honest: sometimes that is so hard to do! I started to get really frustrated adn wonder if I was ever going to be successful. I knew I was on the right path, but I felt like it might have been an endless one that never actually reached anything. Of course, I was wrong.

I got called last Friday by a school for a high school journalism teaching position, and I had my interview Monday. I went into the interview with a strange confidence and peace. I wasn't the least bit worried, even though people asked me that interviews in the education profession can sometimes be tricky. But my interview went so smoothly, and I left with an inexplicable peace, and I knew I would be fine. After all, everything was in God's hands—right where it all belonged.

The school called me Tuesday to offer me the job. I wanted to start doing cartwheels across the floor as soon as I found out! I was beyond excited! In fact, I still am! I can't wait to get started and do something about which I am so passionate.

And I cannot even put into words how thankful I am to the Lord right now. He so faithfully answered my prayers in this situation, and I am just in awe. I don't have to spend my summer stressing out about not knowing where I am going to be in the fall or what exactly I will be doing. Instead, I can continue to work and prepare for the road ahead of me.

I definitely don't deserve any of this, but I am more than willing to accept it all. I feel like I have gone a roundabout path to where I am today, but I don't think I would change a single thing. I've been able to learn so much along the way, and I think it's been a process that provided strength of character (at least I hope so).