Work & Play

Only one more week of school, and then I'll be free for a whole 4 weeks! I'm ridiculously excited. 

Also, only one more week of work as a PTT. I handed in my resignation back at Thanksgiving. I love working there (as much as a person can love work, anyway) and I love the friends I've made, and the people I've helped feel better. But it is time to stop. Which is interesting because I really hadn't foreseen quitting this early. But here I am. These are my reasons:

1. Mom and Dad told me to. Hahaha, it's more like "counseled"--I do have a mind of my own. Mainly, Mom misses me, and how I would help her clean the house, and bake cookies and pies and breads and supper, and watch the kids. Dad wants my help with SOUL. Then there are the kids...apparently they miss me too. It has actually been kind of hard on Misha and Sanna. When I told Sanna I was going to stop working, she yelled "Really? For forever? HURRRRAAAAYYY!" So the family needs me. Which is a nice feeling. hahaha. Seriously though, after God, family is my first priority. And if my family has not been helped by my working at therapy, then it needs to stop. Especially since I'm still under 18. 

2. College. I only took 12 credits this semester and (obviously) that has been all I can handle. A few weeks ago, Isaac told me: "Mattea, when you aren't doing school, you are working. When you aren't working, you're eating. When you're not eating, you're sleeping." So one thing was going to have to go: school, or work. I couldn't just cut back my working hours, because Micki had actually asked me if I could start working MORE. And, although I thought seriously about it, I can't stop college. I need to get at least an associates degree before I stop doing college. So, in order to graduate on time, I need to start taking 15-18 credits a semester...meaning I have to quit working.

3. Dad's business. We aren't sure where the SOUL thing is going to take us. Considering the rather poor economy of Lynchburg, Dell and Mr. C. have been able to do pretty well. Basically, whenever there is traffic SOULs sell. So in a high traffic mall....--the thing is, high traffic malls in a good economy would be in like, Tallahassee or something. Maybe D.C. And if SOUL is what we are going to do to make money, we might need to consider temporarily relocating to the area we are selling them in. Or at least I need to be available to help Dad (and we could both work around my school schedule as long as I have wi-fi).

So those are the reasons I'm resigning. It is going to be sad though. I'm so thankful for all the stuff that I've learned. And it's cool because now I have a trade. If worst ever came to worst, I could get a job as a tech and make enough to live off of comfortably as a single person. Plus, just all the knowledge! They were paying me to get smarter. Pretty good deal. And then my people skills have gotten a ton better. I would say I was an outgoing person, but it was hard. Well now it comes easily. I've learned how to connect with people--from 1 to 93 years of age--in short periods of time. And I've learned that a smile, or a comforting squeeze, or a listening ear, are the best things you can give to people who are hurting--physically or emotionally. Yes it obviously is mandatory to have some college skills to make people physically better. But your "smarts" need to be grounded in those three things. 

And I've also learned that our culture desperately needs a Savior. I knew it before, but now it's so much more real. I'm able to look at a random person on the street and recognize that they are an eternal soul created by God, and they are either going to the burning, painful, lonely hell, or the joyous reunion with Christ in Heaven. And most people don't even know that. It's heart wrenching, because their lives are filled with pain here on earth, and they are on a one way track to an existence of painful eternity, separated from God, separated from all other people. In their own little cell of burning and stench and loneliness and falling and thirst and guilt, and who knows what else.  

But then there's us who are going to Heaven. To everlasting peace, joy, laughter, worship, fellowship with friends, days at the beach... :) Pure wonderfulness and beauty. 

So many people need Christ. Every soul counts. 

I am so crazy blessed to have been called by God. To have been raised in a Christian family. To be a recipient of God's grace and love when so much of the world has not accepted it. 

So that is what physical therapy has taught me the past almost-5 months. I don't regret taking the job at all, and though it's sad that I'm almost done, I know that God will lead me to the next step. I'm looking forward to what it will be. 

For now, I'm glad it's Christmas time. It's a great time to dwell on God's love, and how he willingly became a human (who would willingly become HUMAN??) so save us. And it's a great time to get together with friends :). Yesterday we had a "game day" at the C's along with the older Osbern girls, Stephen, Joe, and Luke. We played blurt and pit, and apples to apples. Apples to Apples was freaky because, even though we were in a group of 8 people, Luke and I picked each others cards EVERY SINGLE TIME we each judged. 

And we made pizza. That was great, but it was really when I started missing Delian. Making pizza and Delian go together for some reason. :) 

Today Christian Slack was having a birthday party at the ice rink, which was fun. I didn't fall once, even though I haven't skated in a year and a half. Though it wasn't like I was going very fast. Pretty much Jennifer, Jordan and I just skated slowly in an ever increasingly smaller circle, talking about anything and everything. Ha ha.

Even though it's early, Merry Christmas!!