Ch…ch…Changes!

Now that everyone has that song in their heads… I have an announcement to make!

No, I’m not pregnant.

No, I’m not engaged.

No, I’m not moving.

Now that we’ve gotten those out of the way, I want to tell you about a journey I’ve been on for many months. I knew last year about this time that changes were coming and I tried to talk about it. I asked repeatedly for direction and clarity and provision and I was repeatedly told to wait. It’s been a year of prayer and waiting and budgeting and seeking. Many doors were shut, but one was opened.

(Have I dragged out the opening long enough?) Drum roll please!

I will be starting a new job in May!

I will move from being an Occupational Therapists working mainly with adults after neurological impairments to an O.T. working in the Neonatal unit and in pediatrics! I am excited about this for many reasons. Here’s a sampling of my extensive pro/con list:

1. I get to wear scrubs to work every day! And sneakers. This isn’t a new thing, but I’m appreciative for it nonetheless. Comfort level=maximized.

2. I will care for the least and the littlest of these and provide sensory input, play, and healthy stimulation unlike anyone else in the health care field. I started as an O.T. in pediatrics. So in a way this is coming home. I still miss my kids and wonder how they’re doing six years later.

3. I will be full time! With Benefits! Can I get an “amen”? This is the crux of where my mental journey started. I’ve been working for years as a per diem employee. So I got more per hour, but without any benefits. I began to feel the budgetary strain of paying for my own benefits and wanted to make an adult decision. I’m giving up flexibility for stability. That’s not an easy move, but I think it is right. After several interviews and months of asking, seeking, and knocking, my new boss thinks it is right too!

4. My back will thank me! I will now be lifting patients who can fit in my hands, slightly less effort than my typical patient now!

5. Less working weekends! I’ve been on the Saturday rotation for six years. This new job will be Monday through Friday with occasional weekend days. I will have two days off in a row and likely won’t know what to do with myself.

But it’s also new and different. I’m leaving a ridiculously cool team of committed, knowledgeable, and talented therapists who can both brainstorm how to rehabilitate a patient and make me laugh with an impromptu dance party. Or a where’s Waldo Holiday photo:

neuro team

Any change is scary. This new position will require some training and be significantly different from what I do on a daily basis now. But overall, I am excited to get started, looking forward to more learning, and so thankful for provision. I fret a lot. I think about how I could provide for myself, as a single person, if I were to get injured or fired or ill. I fret about the rising cost of benefits and housing and food. I constantly do calculations, mental simulations, and hypothetical imaginings about the future. I’m trying to take time and be thankful. God has provided a job with a population I love in a familiar location with benefits and a committed and energetic new team.

God sees and knows my needs.

I am thankful.

P.S. This is my 100th blog post — and somehow that just seems poetic! Thanks for reading, friends!

3 comments / Add your comment below

  1. Woo hoo! Your mornings just became easier….. No more deciding ‘what should I wear today’ ! Your new team is fortunate to have you on board. Your Heavenly Father is leading you step by step.

  2. I know and trust God to take good care of you in the things you sometimes fret about… but as part of the team He oversees and directs I will not let you ever be alone or in need if there is anything I can do to help. You are one of the three most special things in my life… precious beyond measure.

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