Hey Y'all, happy Fall!! I've heard that back home the weather is very fall-y. Here in Nashville, we're a little confused and still think it's summer with highs near 80. I can't wait for that to change!
As it has been about a month and a half since I have moved to Nashville to follow this adventure, I figure I had better fill you in on all of the things that have been happening! First off, here is a little back story about how I got to here. I was finishing up my internship in Illinois in a community recreation facility that was not hiring at the time. My options were to enroll into grad school, or go back to Iowa neither were appealing. Then, a friend from camp asked if I wanted to spend a year or so in Nashville as she got into grad school at Vanderbilt. I prayed about it and on the day that she needed an answer, I found out that I would be coming into the right amount of money to allow me to do this. I took this as God's answer and committed.The week I was home, we struggled to find a trailer, I felt really sick, and we learned my car was completely undriveable. We were wondering if I was supposed to move to Nashville at all with all of the obstacles in the way but lo and behold, two days before it was time to make the 12 hour drive, a family from church let us know that they had an old car right in our price range they needed to sell and we got a trailer! The move went great thanks to my wonderful, loving parents who spent a lot of time and money on their most expensive daughter :) Thanks again, Mama and Darrin!!
Right away I begin sending out my resume and after about 150 job applications, an interview and job offer at a fortune 500 marketing firm (I know,weird right?!), several calls from banks and insurance companies, I interviewed and was offered a position at a group home as a direct care staff with promise of promotion to house coordinator within six months. During this time I also accepted a position as a server at Applebee's. I accepted the job at the group home with an ecstatic and very bright outlook on my future. Soon after accepting the position, I began to work with them on getting ready for training and lots of information that was not given in the interviews came out. The feeling that I had gotten about this job being the answer to my prayers as the start to my Recreation Therapist career soon turned to a really low time. I felt as if I had made a terrible mistake coming to Nashville, I was feeling worse than ever, and everything thing I was doing was being undermined in some way that left me two steps further back than when I had begun. After long hours in prayer and lots of time talking with my Mom, I called the group home and told that I was unable to continue the training process and would not be able to accept the position. As soon as I hung up the phone, I felt this huge weight just lift off of my shoulders. As discouraging as it was to have a really great start to my life career and be back to square one, it was the right move.
Aannnnnnd that's when it hit me, I came upon the realization that I was learning another one of God's supa fun lessons about how much more He has in store for me than I could ever come up with myself. Here are some of those realizations:
1. Listening to God, and following directions the first time around is much more constructive than trying to make your own path (you'd think I would know this by now). I was praying for God to provide me with His perfect job that He led me to Nashville for. The whole time, the answer I was receiving was simply "wait." Of course, I told Him waiting was silly, and after long, nightly discussions explaining the concept of rent and utilities and the first day of the month in which these were due with the Being who created the universe, He humored me and and allowed me to play out my plan for my life with an attractive looking, and promising job, the whole time saying, "wait." My plans fell through and gave way to the only other possibility, to wait.
2. God listens to my prayers. I was praying for His perfect job, He had already given me the one He had in mind for me right now. I was also telling Him that while I fully respect His working in mysterious ways, I really suck at discerning them and could He please be a little less subtle- I took the job on my plan, the one that I thought was perfect and that He will later use to show me how awesome His plan is, and BOOM all I felt was depressed. You can't get much more blunt than removing all the joy from one's life. Thanks, God.
3. Trust, trust, trust, TRUST, in the Father's love for His kids, it's a good love. Once I figured out that my fear of not having enough money for bills was taking over my faith in His plan and His timing, I actually listened to Him and agreed to wait. Instantly upon giving into to the Lord and all he has for me I began to see all of the little ways he had already answered my prayers. When I began to do His work, the provision was overwhelming. We have a good God.
Throughout my whole learning experience, I was working at Applebee's (my original plan at a supplemental income to my career income.) It is important to mention here that I had applied to restaurants all over Nashville. This particular Applebee's is about a mile away from the group home's main office and I would not have found it if I had not applied for the group home job. Anyway, I LOVE this job and I know that this simple waitressing job was one of the main reasons I was supposed to move to Nashville. My coworkers are fantastic. They were (and continue to be) so patient with me as I figured out what I was doing, they have taken the time to accept me into the "day shift crew," they're so incredibly good at what they do and are amazing teachers. Unfortunately, while they give out all these blessings to their regulars, the managers, and their families, I feel like they haven't had many given back to them from those who they bless. I'm pretty positive that the main reason I got this job, was to be a light in a place where there may not be much light at all. It is the best feeling knowing that blessing these people everyday is one of the purposes of my life. That being the person with the personality that God gave me is the exact perfect fit for this situation. This realization really makes Him come alive in me. I am putting my full financial faith in Him to provide for me with His job and by doing His work, it's not easy but I can tell you that it is fun to have your mind blown so regularly watching Him do His work. And,while it is so incredibly hard to move 12 hours away from your life and family and friends and everything, to be told to wait, I am happy to do it. At this time, prayers for patience would not be unwelcome :)
Along the lines of work and career paths, on October 5th I passed my the National Certification exam to become an official Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist! I am Jordan A. Gage, CTRS!!!! It's pretty sweet having credentials behind your name, not gonna lie. While I know that therapeutic recreation and the skills I have acquired over the past 4 years will somehow relate to the calling on my life, I maintain that I don't think God will be using me in the traditional TR sense. I'm not sure what that means or why I needed to spend $450 to take the most stressful test of my life (not that I'm bitter about it or anything), but I know that when I find out it will be worth the anguish. (dramatic, I know.)
On another note, I really wanted to get back into the church going lifestyle and found a great one about 30 minutes away from my house! I have been attending Grace Church: Nashville for the past month and love it. I have always loved my home church, the Heartland Vineyard in Cedar Falls but this church rocks. I learned a lot about the Holy Spirit back home and thought I knew what they were talking about, but I didn't have a clue. This church WORSHIPS. Like, WOOOORRRSSHHIPPPSSSS. It's amazing. I think part of the reason I like it and it feels so differently here, is because right now, I'm anonymous. I always felt distracted and watched in my home church because I knew everyone. I had attended since I was 8 and had been leading services in the kids ministry every week from ages 11-21. I would sit through service thinking about school, or how the teachers were doing in the Kidzone and how I should be back helping rather than sitting in church and wouldn't allow myself be open to the teaching and what God had for me that day in worship. Now, I find it easier to surrender myself to the Holy Spirit and am really learning to how to worship and how amazing it is. I have also gone to a young adult's bible study on Thursday nights and can't wait to get to know the people more. Thes
As it has been about a month and a half since I have moved to Nashville to follow this adventure, I figure I had better fill you in on all of the things that have been happening! First off, here is a little back story about how I got to here. I was finishing up my internship in Illinois in a community recreation facility that was not hiring at the time. My options were to enroll into grad school, or go back to Iowa neither were appealing. Then, a friend from camp asked if I wanted to spend a year or so in Nashville as she got into grad school at Vanderbilt. I prayed about it and on the day that she needed an answer, I found out that I would be coming into the right amount of money to allow me to do this. I took this as God's answer and committed.The week I was home, we struggled to find a trailer, I felt really sick, and we learned my car was completely undriveable. We were wondering if I was supposed to move to Nashville at all with all of the obstacles in the way but lo and behold, two days before it was time to make the 12 hour drive, a family from church let us know that they had an old car right in our price range they needed to sell and we got a trailer! The move went great thanks to my wonderful, loving parents who spent a lot of time and money on their most expensive daughter :) Thanks again, Mama and Darrin!!
Right away I begin sending out my resume and after about 150 job applications, an interview and job offer at a fortune 500 marketing firm (I know,weird right?!), several calls from banks and insurance companies, I interviewed and was offered a position at a group home as a direct care staff with promise of promotion to house coordinator within six months. During this time I also accepted a position as a server at Applebee's. I accepted the job at the group home with an ecstatic and very bright outlook on my future. Soon after accepting the position, I began to work with them on getting ready for training and lots of information that was not given in the interviews came out. The feeling that I had gotten about this job being the answer to my prayers as the start to my Recreation Therapist career soon turned to a really low time. I felt as if I had made a terrible mistake coming to Nashville, I was feeling worse than ever, and everything thing I was doing was being undermined in some way that left me two steps further back than when I had begun. After long hours in prayer and lots of time talking with my Mom, I called the group home and told that I was unable to continue the training process and would not be able to accept the position. As soon as I hung up the phone, I felt this huge weight just lift off of my shoulders. As discouraging as it was to have a really great start to my life career and be back to square one, it was the right move.
Aannnnnnd that's when it hit me, I came upon the realization that I was learning another one of God's supa fun lessons about how much more He has in store for me than I could ever come up with myself. Here are some of those realizations:
1. Listening to God, and following directions the first time around is much more constructive than trying to make your own path (you'd think I would know this by now). I was praying for God to provide me with His perfect job that He led me to Nashville for. The whole time, the answer I was receiving was simply "wait." Of course, I told Him waiting was silly, and after long, nightly discussions explaining the concept of rent and utilities and the first day of the month in which these were due with the Being who created the universe, He humored me and and allowed me to play out my plan for my life with an attractive looking, and promising job, the whole time saying, "wait." My plans fell through and gave way to the only other possibility, to wait.
2. God listens to my prayers. I was praying for His perfect job, He had already given me the one He had in mind for me right now. I was also telling Him that while I fully respect His working in mysterious ways, I really suck at discerning them and could He please be a little less subtle- I took the job on my plan, the one that I thought was perfect and that He will later use to show me how awesome His plan is, and BOOM all I felt was depressed. You can't get much more blunt than removing all the joy from one's life. Thanks, God.
3. Trust, trust, trust, TRUST, in the Father's love for His kids, it's a good love. Once I figured out that my fear of not having enough money for bills was taking over my faith in His plan and His timing, I actually listened to Him and agreed to wait. Instantly upon giving into to the Lord and all he has for me I began to see all of the little ways he had already answered my prayers. When I began to do His work, the provision was overwhelming. We have a good God.
Throughout my whole learning experience, I was working at Applebee's (my original plan at a supplemental income to my career income.) It is important to mention here that I had applied to restaurants all over Nashville. This particular Applebee's is about a mile away from the group home's main office and I would not have found it if I had not applied for the group home job. Anyway, I LOVE this job and I know that this simple waitressing job was one of the main reasons I was supposed to move to Nashville. My coworkers are fantastic. They were (and continue to be) so patient with me as I figured out what I was doing, they have taken the time to accept me into the "day shift crew," they're so incredibly good at what they do and are amazing teachers. Unfortunately, while they give out all these blessings to their regulars, the managers, and their families, I feel like they haven't had many given back to them from those who they bless. I'm pretty positive that the main reason I got this job, was to be a light in a place where there may not be much light at all. It is the best feeling knowing that blessing these people everyday is one of the purposes of my life. That being the person with the personality that God gave me is the exact perfect fit for this situation. This realization really makes Him come alive in me. I am putting my full financial faith in Him to provide for me with His job and by doing His work, it's not easy but I can tell you that it is fun to have your mind blown so regularly watching Him do His work. And,while it is so incredibly hard to move 12 hours away from your life and family and friends and everything, to be told to wait, I am happy to do it. At this time, prayers for patience would not be unwelcome :)
Along the lines of work and career paths, on October 5th I passed my the National Certification exam to become an official Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist! I am Jordan A. Gage, CTRS!!!! It's pretty sweet having credentials behind your name, not gonna lie. While I know that therapeutic recreation and the skills I have acquired over the past 4 years will somehow relate to the calling on my life, I maintain that I don't think God will be using me in the traditional TR sense. I'm not sure what that means or why I needed to spend $450 to take the most stressful test of my life (not that I'm bitter about it or anything), but I know that when I find out it will be worth the anguish. (dramatic, I know.)
On another note, I really wanted to get back into the church going lifestyle and found a great one about 30 minutes away from my house! I have been attending Grace Church: Nashville for the past month and love it. I have always loved my home church, the Heartland Vineyard in Cedar Falls but this church rocks. I learned a lot about the Holy Spirit back home and thought I knew what they were talking about, but I didn't have a clue. This church WORSHIPS. Like, WOOOORRRSSHHIPPPSSSS. It's amazing. I think part of the reason I like it and it feels so differently here, is because right now, I'm anonymous. I always felt distracted and watched in my home church because I knew everyone. I had attended since I was 8 and had been leading services in the kids ministry every week from ages 11-21. I would sit through service thinking about school, or how the teachers were doing in the Kidzone and how I should be back helping rather than sitting in church and wouldn't allow myself be open to the teaching and what God had for me that day in worship. Now, I find it easier to surrender myself to the Holy Spirit and am really learning to how to worship and how amazing it is. I have also gone to a young adult's bible study on Thursday nights and can't wait to get to know the people more. Thes
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