Second Hand History

Early last week, I heard the news that Peter Jennings had passed away. It caught me by surprise because I hadn't even heard that he was sick.

Between Good Morning America and Fox News I caught a few stories on his life and one phrase a reporter used struck me. He commented that Jennings had had "a front row seat to history." At first I thought that was an odd statement. Don't we all have a front row seat to history that's created during our lifetime? But I know what he meant.

Jennings was there and I was in my living room.

I've always thought that the overflow was a rip-off. You know, the room you're sent to if you arrive too late to get a seat in church on Christmas and Easter. It's just not the same when you're watching a screen - there's the sense that you're missing the overall big picture, not to mention the "feel" of the room.

And this week I was reminded that my seemingly front row seat to history is merely a seat in overflow. I'm fully dependent on people in the "main" room to give me an adequate picture of what's going on. And they all have different angles, don't they? From ABC to the local paper to Fox News to internet blogs.

Jennings has vacated his front seat to history and I can't help but wonder what kind of report we'd get if he were to come to us live tomorrow for World News Tonight. Afterall, he's now had the ultimate face to face interview with the most well-known figure in history.

Jennings' Search for Jesus has ended.

Ten Thousand Beside

Have you ever felt the Spirit urging you to spend time with him? Some people, like John Eldredge, describe it as waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to return to sleep. Me, I've never experienced that particular perspective. Once I'm asleep there's only one thing that wakes me up - an alarm or allergies. Maybe that's why I always feel the closest to God when I'm living in the Midwest. I'm extremely allergic to just about everything here. And it always happens in the wee hours of the morning.

I went to sleep last night dreaming about sleeping in this morning. I finally had a free morning where I could do it. But of course, allergies came calling at about 7am. They're relentless. I tried to stay in bed, but they were too bad. As I fought it, that thought came to mind, it would be a great time to read your Bible.

I fought some more and finally left bed before I woke Mike up with my sneezing. This is how I found myself on the couch with Romans. The Lord works in mysterious ways, even through excessive snot.

Since I have unofficially proclaimed August 3rd as rhetorical question day...Have you ever felt like God answered a prayer before you had even spoken it?

I feel like he does this for me all the time. Either that, or I never remember what I pray. It's like the groaning that Romans 8 talks about, with the Spirit interceding on our behalf.

I groaned a lot during my three month job search. I got a job immediately when we moved here and I inwardly groaned, full time? I didn't want to work full time every day of the week! Inwardly, I dreamed of the perfect job:

I would like to work part time so that I can be home enough to keep my house in order.
I'd like to be around to get to know the people at our church.
We really need better benefits than what the church has provided.
I really want maternity coverage so we can afford to have a baby.
I don't want to wait 3-9 months for maternity coverage to become effective.
I don't want to work at a manufacturing place.
I really want to be involved in radio on the side. That's my passion.
I don't know how we'll pay for childcare if we ever have kids.

And for some reason, the God of the universe seems to delight in giving me the desires of my heart - every time. He's done it my entire life. Even when I don't ask.

I found the FedEx job on Monster.com. The header read, "Part Time with Benefits!" That caught my attention, so I wrote down the address and went on a search for it the next time I was in Kokomo. When I drove up and saw the place, I immediately crossed it off my list. It was just a big pole-barn kind of building with a bunch of trucks backed into it. I couldn't even tell where I'd go in to turn in my resume. I called Mike and told him I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was coming home. I wasn't that desperate yet.

About a week later, we were both down in Kokomo for some reason and I wanted to show Mike just how bad the place was that I had almost applied. We drove up and he said he didn't think it was that bad and that I'd probably go in that little unlabeled door on the side.

Oh well. They probably weren't still hiring anyway.

Another week later, I was getting desperate. I found myself at this manufactured structures place, filling out a resume for a low paying job in a place I knew nothing about. This was the low point. I came home and called FedEx and asked if they were still hiring and they were.

I drove down right then to turn in my resume. I went through that little door we had decided must be the entrance and almost knocked over the Senior Manager. It was a good thing he was there because once you're in the big building, there are a bunch of trucks parked everywhere and you have to walk a little further in to find the actual office. If he hadn't been there to take it and walk me back to the office, I probably would have looked inside and turned back around and marched out to the car, once again proclaiming that I couldn't bring myself to work in a place like that.

I almost missed what God had waiting for me. He had offered this gift that I looked at twice and said wasn't good enough for me. Finally, I accepted it enough to begin to unwrap the package. And what a treasure it is...

I'm working part time at Fed Ex in the afternoons with plenty of time during the day to keep up on housework and hang out with people.
I get full, immediate benefits that became effective on my start date.
Last week I was hired as a part-time announcer on the weekends at WBCL in Fort Wayne.
If we have kids, I'll be home during the day to take care of them and Mike will be home when I'm gone to work in the evenings. No childcare costs.
And if you've really followed my blogs and remember that I wanted a commute? I got that too. :)

So, my package was delivered via FedEx, a company where one of the slogans is "The World on Time." How ironic.

Great is Thy Faithfulness.