The State of DMCD Address – Part Two

Celebrating turning 33 I’ve been reflecting on what’s happened from Nov 2009 til now.  It has been a year of three’s and I reflected on how that was the case with the home situation.  as well as that though, there was also the issue with my work.

Jobs

Along the similar theme of being settled and accustomed to a role and place in life, in November 2009 I was celebrating being in the same job role for the longest time since I’ve been eligible to work. At the North Staffs YMCA as Christian Spiritual Development Worker without claiming to have got the role completely sussed, I had got a niche for meself. I had a very good relationship with the boss to the extent of seeing him as a part of the family. Members of staff knew me and I had a level of respect among them and had built some really good relationships with the customers over the time I was there.

The key decisions that had to be made in my life at that time obviously necessitated moving on from that job and I really had no idea what I would do after that. February was a difficult month being out of work in a new place like Little Hulton and aware that the ‘current financial climate’ did not lend itself to high employment.

Yet God in His infinite wisdom saw it fit for me to be able to get a job working in Wigan for TNG initially as a combination of Placement Officer and Personal Job Advisor, despite the fact that I’d applied to be an tutor. Yet patience truly was a virtue as I discovered more about the contract I was on and the processes involved. Appreciating the roles that would be involved and through various ‘interesting’ circumstances biding my time things transpired and divinely conspired to allow me to eventually settle in the role that I had initially applied for.

Once more, though, with the move, came a move in place of work and so from TNG Wigan I moved to TNG Northampton confirmed in the post of a tutor. I’ve been there since July so I’m heading for nearly six months in Northampton. As ever the only constant is change, but despite that I feel once again as if I’m making my mark in the place in a positive way and the role allows me to appreciate a lot of different life issues from the challenge of worklessness to the concept of vocation and how young people can live up to adulthood.

Three jobs in one year and three working locations in the space of the year and again it has been amazing how God’s grace overshadowed me in that time to make the transitions and rather than get too caught up with the challenges, I’ve been able to not just get by but make some lasting friendships, which continue to be of great encouragement to me.

Yet there is even more to the year of three’s in the 33rd year to be explored in the final blog entry of the (birth)day.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd