As promised, here is the second part of the post....yes it took awhile. Only because blogging takes a little more effort than I have wanted to put into it lately.
I have worked for Child Protective Services now for 18 months. I actually love my job. I do not love the amount of work. Not only because it is hard to keep up with, but high caseloads = lots of abused children. But I have loved the opportunity working has provided me with.
2007 was a hard year for me on a personal level. I really did love staying home with my babies for the previous years, but I also felt like I was becoming a different person. I felt judgemental and gossipy, which is everything I abhor. I couldn't shake the feeling that God had his hand in that feeling, and I began praying for a way to change that. We made the decision for me to go back to work to help get me out of the rut I was sinking into.
Best decision ever. I realized my problem within the first month of working. I realized I had gotten tunnel vision. I had let myself fall into too small of a circle and forgot to look beyond my environment. And what other way to snap you back into reality than to see the difficult situations that our neighborhood children face.
Payton began noticing other children's stuff in my car and would ask questions. What an opportunity to teach her about other people's trouble's and to remind us of our blessings. She caught on quick. Seeing the "hard stuff" made me pray harder and more frequently. I distinctly remember seeing a bad wreck on Davis Blvd. one day. The children were with me and they began talking about the ambulances and fire trucks. I pulled over and talked to them about what had happened and we said a prayer for those that were involved. The children continued to pray for those people in the wreck for over a week. Their concern for others has blossomed into exactly what I wanted it to be and they have turned into little prayer warriors!
I have met some of the most wonderful people, and I have taken a little piece of all of them with me and learned from them. Today, during a final visit with a one of my families, the woman hugged me so hard, and so tight as I entered her home, that I fought back the tears. I was overcome with her strength, inner beauty, and love. She and I could talk for hours, we could probably be really good friends if that were allowed. I wish I could tell you her story. She is an inspiration to me and I will never forget her story. I am a better person because of these experiences.
Praise God.
So now, a new chapter begins. I now have some fabulous social work experience under my belt....some of the best in crisis intervention there is. Now I am going to focus my attention on my licensing exam to become an official LMSW. Having your LMSW almost doubles your pay...which if I cared about that, I would have never chosen social work as a major!! But it opens so many other doors, and the opportunities that I will have by owning that title excites me to no end.
I am also quitting my job to do it. My last day is in 3 days. I will spend the summer with the kids playing and looking for local "mission" opportunites before Payton starts Kindergarten in August...and study for my exam. It could be a while before I go back to work, or only a few months. We'll just see where God leads me. I'm in no hurry to figure it out. He leadeth me....and he's done a perfect job thus far.
The view from the balcony
The kids suite.
Travis wakeboarding
