Interviews, Learning and Growing

Today I went to an interview and met some lovely people who I think I would enjoy working with.  I think I did well although it is hard to judge and was only a first interview.  They will notify me early next week and it is possible I will be invited to a second interview.  The principal asked, "Carolanne, you could get a job anywhere, why do you want to be a part of our school?"  Inwardly I thought, "Well then, why don't you 'snap' me up and employ me?" and outwardly I smiled and answered his question properly. 


In a previous email exchange with the principal I said: 


"Often I am asked about my long term plans, 5 years down the track, 25 years etc but I am not great at having plans because I have learned that I need to make plans 'loosely and with an open hand' giving it to the Lord."

I know that I am led each step of the way and I am glad that the Lord knows me so well.  When Nick and I were trying to get Dee (my horse) into the horse trailer, she would take one step up, then pull and step back.  She needed constant encouragement to keep moving forward.  I would slap her rump, Nick would pull on the rope, we'd try to sweet talk her but it took quite a few step-up, pull- back moments, before she would get in.  Nick got bad rope burns on his hand at the time.


I think I am like Dee at times except that the Lord knows that so He doesn't confront me with the 'horse trailer' straight away.


Instead, He gives me a manageable task and then gives me a slightly harder task next time.  He "grows me" into each task.  Sometimes when I look back, I think to myself that if I had have known what I was going to be doing further down the track, I would balk at the starting gate. When I was at teacher's college, many moons ago, they would hand out all the year's assignments and assessment tasks at the beginning of the year.  I would always feel slightly overwhelmed, until I remembered that it wasn't all due in the first few weeks.  I think that's also a reason why I put off overwhelming projects: I see what the completed finished project should be, I know there will be lots of steps to get to that task and I forget that there is time enough to do it.  


Anyway, I will know early next week.  After I finished the interview, I went and spent some time with my gorgeous son Nathan.  We went out for dinner and were the only ones in the restaurant.  While we were eating, a man came and set up his speakers, took out his guitar and started playing and singing.  I felt bad leaving soon after but Nathan assured me that the man would have been playing regardless of our presence and that at least he had had our audience for a short time.


Nathan learned to drive in an automatic car and got his automatic driver's licence, so now that I have a manual car, he has the opportunity to learn how to drive it.  I took him for a driving lesson and was thankful that I only had to teach him how to change gears and do a handbrake start as he already has car 'sense' and knows the rules.  We got to an intersection which was uphill so he had to learn how to do a handbrake start.  Take your foot off the clutch gently with your left foot, accelerate with your right foot and with your left hand, release the handbrake.  He stalled a few times so I offered to do it for him.  He persisted until he could cross the intersection himself.  We drove around a bit more and then I suggested we stop at McDonalds for an ice-cream.  He drove into a car space that was slightly uphill and when the car stalled, he got out it and asked me to park it properly.


I asked him why he didn't want to persist with that one and I guess it came down to the fact that he had 'finished' his learning for the time being.


We keep moving forward, we make plans and we keep learning and growing.  As Psalm 139 says:


¹ You have searched me, LORD, 
   and you know me. 
² You know when I sit and when I rise; 
   you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; 
   you are familiar with all my ways. 
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue 
   you, LORD, know it completely. 
⁵ You hem me in behind and before, 
   and you lay your hand upon me. 
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
   too lofty for me to attain.


I am glad He knows me so well and that He gently leads me, in the way that is best for me.