What’s going on around me
Despite my severe lack of cuddling (see yesterday’s quiz result, not to mention here and here) I have multiple times a day when I am able to take a breath and realize that really, I’m doing pretty dang good. I get a little sad now and then when I think that I have to finish this interim and there’s always the possibility that the next place I work won’t be nearly as much fun or healthy. But getting sad about leaving a good gig is pretty normal, I think.
There’s a lot of stress and chaos going on in the lives of some of my friends and I find myself having time, and emotional capacity to not only pray for them, but to do a few things I hope will help.
1) YM is a friend from graduate school. She is a Japanese citizen and stayed in the United States this last year on an O visa. Her O visa is running out in September. She is a skilled organist with an advanced theological degree. But you can’t renew an O visa. She is applying for an R1 (religious workers’) visa. This requires her supervising pastor to be involved. They have to travel to Calgary (because it’s closer than Tokyo) to have an appointment with the American Consul to apply for this R visa. It seems that “they’ve” determined that about 1/3 of the people who have R visas right now are lying about being religious workers. So, beginning June 1, the rules are changing and fewer R visas will be issued. that’s all well and good, but the result is that YM will travel by car 20 hours to a meeting in Calgary and has no way of knowing what the likelihood of her application being approved. whether it is approved or not, her O visa doesn’t expire until mid-September but there is no guarantee that she will be allowed back into the United States. The consul, or the border guard may decide that since there’s only a few months left she can’t come back. Or, it could all go smoothly and she gets her R visa and we go merrily on our way. There’s just no way to predict it.
2) KO’s mom is dying. The plan was that last weekend KO and his sisters were going to move her from the apartments to the assisted living portion of the complex where she is living. But she had a very serious stroke last Tuesday and is declining rapidly. KO, as a centered and spiritual individual is aware that they are spending the time well. Saying good-byes and spending time with each other. But, I imagine it’s still very hard. He’ll be an orphan after this (even if he is 60).
3) The assoc. pastor at my “good job” was put on a forced personal leave after throwing one too many temper tantrums claiming she is the only one working hard. Basically, she has control issues, can’t delegate (see: control issues), is a perfectionist and can’t set or keep boundaries. Oh, and she gets almost all of her self-identity from work. Also, not sure she has “support circles” where she can have something else in her life besides work. No, no, no. I said it was the associate pastor…not me!!! OK. So I have a lot of understanding of what she’s putting herself through. But she’s putting herself through it and I just wish I could hold up a magic mirror where she would see that clearly and be able to change. But we all know that self-knowledge is not always enough to effect change.
4) The senior pastor is beating himself up a bit because he didn’t step up and be more directive earlier. Also, now that she’s on leave his workload is greatly expanded. And when he has travel plans no backup. So, I’m helping out with emergency calls over Memorial Day weekend.
5) Sophia (of Neil and Sophia) is going through a cancer scare. She’s had surgery and it’s a good news (not invasive cancer) bad news situation (in the milk ducts…pre-cancerous…requires another round of surgery) and even though I’ve never met these two, my prayers and thoughts are with them both.
6) AR is still struggling with depression. Medication is helping him get over the brain-chemistry hump but changing the things that he can choose to change are a little tougher. He had a “breakthrough” while I was in Phoenix realizing that he has been assuming that he has to be unhappy. And that the plan he has for the next year or so assumes that he’s going to be unhappy. He thinks the breakthrough was recognizing that he was working under this assumption. I think the bigger breakthrough will be when he realizes that he can just as easily decide to be happy and work toward that for the next year or so. But having the realizations and changing behavior and thinking aren’t necessarily the same thing and the change part is usually harder to maintain that the realizations.
So, that’s what’s going on in the lives of some of the people I care about. Quite a lot, ain’t it?
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A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
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A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
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A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
