The final pieces have come together. Honestly, I think if I try to explain the myriad of things this weekend it won’t make sense. The last was that TRS was saying I could not get my money until my last paycheck in August, and added to that it was ILLEGAL to borrow against retirement. So there I stood, feeling trapped. And yet it just made me MAD. I was mad because I KNOW I am supposed to go and anything standing in my way was making me mad!

So all weekend I searched for answers. I also wrote the payroll person at my school district here. I was not especially calm, I must admit. Today she wrote back and I won’t detail the 7 or so emails, but the bottom line is this: I discovered that upon resigning from TISD, one has a CHOICE. You can do it the way TRS told me OR you can take a payout and receive ALL THREE REMAINING MONTHS SALARY IN JUNE! Yikes! I have to admit it scared me a bit—that means a check in June and not another one til OCTOBER, but I called my best friend for advice and decided it was best. I will put two thirds in my savings and not touch it until the 19th of the next month, etc. The point is NOT the salary, but that taking my salary early will allow TRS to release my money and there is the moving money. But because I am me, I have to be really careful to FORGET that money is there until the next scheduled payday!

Another option had come over the weekend too through something else. It was not the number one perfect choice, But I was so thankful for it because it was another assurance of an answer. Then this morning it hit me: There I was debating my options to be sure I made the right decision. And I actually started worrying a bit and then I realized it:

THE MONEY IS THERE.

I am not sure exactly which way is best to work it all, but the bottom line is that it is there. Of course soon after I decided to go ahead and do the payoff option. The other option was God’s mercy on me—a way of reassuring me, I think, that it would be okay. But it was there and the faithfulness of God really struck me with that thought.

Meanwhile the other loose end was tried with a phone call from Terry—the pastor’s wife in California. The other great dilemma of the weekend was Robin and Steve and us timing it right for them to drive me out there and also get back for Steve’s work—while simultaneously timing it with my lease ending, lower prices on the moving truck, discount plane fares back and the fact that Darrell and Terry would be out of town some of those days. It seemed like we hit a brick wall at every corner and I was so frustrated. They came over after church yesterday and we discovered I needed the next size up in moving trucks and we worked all that out and then our dates did NOT work.

I finally called Terry to be sure of the dates they were gone. I was so frustrated because it is very important to me that they meet each other—especially because Robin is my spiritual mother and this is God calling me and moving me for a purpose. That is one reason Robin even wanted to take me out there—as a sort of spiritual transport also. Beyond that I was already a bit sad because at first Robin was going to get to be there the day I danced that song at their church. But then that changed too. So it really felt lousy that they might not even get to meet my pastors—the spiritual place they were taking me, but maybe at least they could see the dance when I do it here—but they can’t meet Darrell and Terry here!

Then a few hours after discovering the news about the money, the phone rang—Terry. She told me the dates that they would be gone were CHANGED and now it was the next week. All of a sudden that fell into place. We got the $125 plane tickets for them to come back, and we get to have dinner, all of us together that Tuesday night. I was so happy! I wish she could be there for the dance, but at least everything else was perfect.

And so in a day it came together perfectly. Only one thing remains—finding an apartment when I get there. And you know what? That is a no brainier. The same God who could orchestrate the perfect harmony of the job, the travel times and dates and the money, can certainly find me an apartment and other services I need when I get there. All the big stuff is in perfect place. WOW!!!!!!!!!! I won’t stop praying, of course, for all else that must happen in smaller areas, but I am not worried. How can I be? God is BEYOND faithful with this. I am even amazed at how MUCH I see Him in this!

We will drive out of here August 3 and arrive the evening of August 4. On the 5th we will unload the truck, have dinner with them and on the 6th they will leave, and I guess my life will officially begin there. I am glad that is a Wednesday so I can go straight to church. It will help the adjustment! Wow this is major.

Once all that worked out I set my mind to seeing if I could go to Vermont in July. It turns out I can still get a bargain ticket despite the holiday weekend, but I would need a car too. I have also considered driving—taking several days and making it my last blast in that sense, Of course the reason I want to go is a major ministry conference with Shachah. I have been to many but this one is different, more major with a serious ministry purpose and I really want to go. The plan as of today is to have a garage sale this weekend (yes, I have begun packing) and if I make enough then I will go to Vermont. So pray that people with cash drive by! HA! But I really want to go if possible. It seems like the natural thing to do considering that my college classes did not make and I have all this free time anyway. To miss such a thing the one time I AM off work seems silly. And to culminate my ministry time with them at their international conference could be appropriate. So I am believing the money for this ministry trip will come—even if it is through selling my old junk (and how did I GET so much junk anyway?!) So if it doesn’t rain I will give it a shot Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile it was very interesting this evening when my friend and I were packing and she noticed some loose papers in the back of my desk. Viola! I discovered my lost driver’s license—only what is so AMAZING is that I am almost sure I threw OUT that boarding pass that had it in it—and that is where it was, in the slot in my boarding pass, used to get on the plane home from New York. I threw out one and that was the only one I could not find. And there it was. You know that license was symbolic of all the things that TRIED to go wrong in the last week-and-a-half. Had I not discovered it missing (by God’s grace) a few hours before going to LA, I would not have been able to do some of what I got to do related to my job, and it is even debatable as to whether I would have had enough ID to get on the plane—I found out early, so I got my temporary one. And it felt like something was trying to stop me because it was so extreme. Somehow getting it back on the day that all the pieces came together seemed appropriate. I laughed. Then I made a face—“the devil tried to steal this,” I said. And the chapter ended. I still think I threw it out, though. WOW! So now in a few days when the new one gets here, I will have TWO Texas driver’s licenses— just 7 weeks or so before I move to California.

I will use the one with the best picture.