Whew!

The great news is now that I've worked with my replacement in my church position (see prior post) I understand now why she seemed so foreboding to me and others who had gossiped about her. (Yes, it was gossip, and I'm sorry I listened). And, I find that I've much more in common with her than I would ever had guessed.

This lady has survived a traumatic traffic accident that broke her neck in two places. The doctors fused the vertebrae and she has healed—physically. Being a Texan, she has continued on with her life on sheer guts and willpower. She has put her energies into teaching people to excel at singing. She's even making a living at it!

What she hasn't done as nearly well is deal with her PTSD. It's affected her personality—she comes across as very brusque and insensitive—and is very hard to befriend. Here's a challenge I can look forward to! After all, I've tangled with that particular burden myself...

Waiting for a shoe to drop...

I’ve no idea how many people have ever read this blog. Perhaps I’m just writing for my own entertainment. One thing I do know is that I’ve mostly written about what I think about things and very little about what I feel about them.

Part of being a member of my church is the idea that we are “called to serve” in various positions by an inspired leader. The length of that service can vary by quite a few years. Eventually, we are “released” and someone else is called to serve. That release can come about by moving away, dying, or just because it’s someone else’s turn to serve in that position. Most of us muddle through new callings, gain in our skills, learn how to do things right, then we’re called to yet other positions.

Right now I’m in the most difficult part of that process. After being for a few years in a position I loved, someone else has grudgingly accepted a call to that position. She seems to not care too much for it and is talking about scaling it all back to suit her existing calendar. I’m finding it hard to keep my mouth shut and am wondering how long it will take for her to destroy what I (and my predecessors) built up.

I hope I get called to something else soon! Not having a position is bad enough without this drama.