Sunday, March 17, 2013

Busy-ness

I was offered a teaching job this weekend... but I turned it down.  I'm not really sure why.  I have taught English ever since I came to Japan, over 35 years.  I have a fun time doing it but I am always surprised how much I look forward to vacation times when no children are coming and I don't have to go to the pre-school and kindergarten.

Recently I had a conference with the kindergarten principal and let her know that she might think about finding a new English teacher within the next couple of years.  Retiring at age 60 seems about right to me but the principal flattered me and went on to talking about next term's English curriculum.  She didn't really take me seriously saying that since she is already 64, I can't talk about retiring yet...

In all my years of living in Japan I have never gone looking for work.  It just comes to me (by the grace of God) and it has always been enough to get me back to the States yearly or to keep the kids in school.  When a job DOES come I really do think it is just another path God has set out and all I need to do is take the first step.  So when I declined the job offer yesterday I almost felt that I was turning my back on a God given challenge.  And hey, we are not so well off that I can afford to turn down work!

But a new job wasn't really what I wanted to do.  The past year I've been trying to downsize my working schedule and a major job just wasn't in my plan.  I don't want to do a job grudgingly, I want to do it joyfully.

What do I want to do? 

Spend my days sewing...  Keep the house a bit tidier...  Cook other than slapdash meals...  Keep my body in motion with dog-walking and swimming...  Visit with friends...  Read inspiring books...  Pray for my church...  Take pictures...  Blog regularly... Teach a few classes joyfully...

My Bible reading this week was Matthew 22:5

"But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business."

Am I just going about my own business?  Busy-ness?

And my prayer for that day (before the job offer) was:

"Lord, help me to not let busy-ness interfere with my relationship with You."

I'm not sure if I'm following my own schedule or God's.

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