This week began full of holiday spirit! Tuesday I left this small town for another small, yet more familiar, town I like to call home. Deddy and I ran a few errands before everyone settled in for the night. The next day was simply wonderful! My sister and her husband came down in the morning to spend the night. SO, while Andy and Deddy worked in the yard, momma, sister, and I got our nails done and did some grocery shopping. Which can never be done without some light family entertainment.
Having my sister with me, being home, cooking Thanksgiving dinner with momma... It all felt so joyful. Everything was as it was in the past. Everything was perfect. We stayed up late into the night preparing for the feast that we would be serving the Watson/Dalton family the following day. By morning everyone was chugging coffee and making their final preparations. When we got to the church the entire family, minus my other sister and her family, were already there. Smiles and hugs blanketed us at the door. Helping hands were ready to set food on the long center table, already layered in goodies.
After some catching up, eating too much food, reminiscing the past Thanksgivings, and laughing until our sides hurt we had to leave. Sister and Andy had to get home to his family's Thanksgiving dinner and I had to get back to my apartment to get ready for Black Friday, perks of being in retail. We all packed up, said our goodbyes, then went our separate ways, but only for a short time. Family Christmas is less than a month away!
This is where the jolly part ends...
I finally get everything unloaded and unpacked into my apartment and I start a load of laundry. By this time I realize that I should probably eat some dinner. Being as lazy as I can be I felt no desire to go out again, so... I saw some left over pizza in my refrigerator and heated it up. After devouring it with some hot sauce, like usual, I hopped in the shower and got ready to end my night and begin work at 6:30 am Friday morning. Little did I know... that pizza was about to retaliate!
From 9 pm until well... let me get back to you on that one... I have been revisiting that "go out or eat left overs?" dilemma. I should've gone out. A chicken taco at Taco Bell would've been better than what I'm experiencing now!
Being someone who hates confrontation I struggled with the decision to call in to work or not.
Here were my problems:
- throwing up
- can't stand up straight
- can hardly move
- dehydrated
- tired
- weak
- fever
- NEVER ENDING
So by 5:45 am when I was still doing everything on that list I made my decision and dialed the number. The ringing didn't last as long as it usually did and my manager picked up right away. I thought I might throw up just having to speak to her. I told her my issues and that I thought it not really smart to come into work on Black Friday when I would probably end up barfing on the customers... She was NOT very pleased.
I stress the "not" because she then informed me that I would most likely no longer be working there after this.
She was mad.
I offered to work early the following day since I was scheduled anyway but she didn't seem like she wanted me there at all. So I hung up, threw up, then went back to bed... shaking. I told you... I hate confrontation.
I finally got about two hours of sleep before the dry heaving began. Since then, it's been sleeping on and off and dry heaving on and off. All I'm saying is that I hope my Christmas is as unbelievably perfect as my Thanksgiving was but that the following day is not as tragic as my Black Friday!!!
But as I said in the beginning of this post... I ran across a passage today that hit me as to why all of this may be happening. What you, as readers, don't know is that when I got this seasonal job, 2 hours later, I was offered another job at this store that I just LOVE called DKNY. Well, I knew I couldn't work for them as seasonal because I was already promised to another store. But the store manager is desperately looking for part time workers as well. So, while my contract ends with this job, I may have a better job waiting for me! Better as in: better clothes, better quality products, better managers, and better pay!
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-13)
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.9What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God."
Everything is perfect in it's timing... in God's timing. When I got fired God had a perfect purpose for that. Me getting really sick from eating old pizza, God had a perfect timing for that. There is a time for everything. I will not be put down by those that I have angered or the harsh words my coworkers will have to say about me. I will not be put down by the thought of not having a job. For I know that God's timing is perfect. I know that I was offered that job, been reminded of that job countless times, for a reason. I was in this job for this while for a reason and now it will be time to move on. God's timing is nothing to question. Only something to be Thankful for and welcome with a grateful heart that He allows us time.
Happy late Thanksgiving!
