Call Me Anything but Lonely

Call me anything but lonely
Through a stone disown me
Let'em know I'll never, ever be the same
'Cause they all head on home in the morning
Get on gone when it's storming
Let'em know I'll never kiss it all away
When the morning sun comes
You'll know I didn't run
'Cause when the rain came
It still never changed
Through the laughter and the tears
The pain and my fears I'll stay, I'll wait right here
These scars upon my sleeve
Won't get the best of me
You've had yours and I've had my own defeats
This heart upon your sleeve
I'll tread gently I won't rush in and run away on a breeze
When the morning sun comes
You'll know I didn't run
'Cause when the rain came
It still never changed
Through the laughter and the tears
The pain and my fears
I'll stay, I'll wait right here

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Above are the lyrics to a new song by Mat Kearney (click the title of the post to listen). I love this song. I have had amazing people come to my life in the last 7 months, not to mention an amazing relationship with God grow in the last 7 months as well. It is by these relationships that I have been able to fight in the trenches; laugh and cry through the pain. Thank you to everyone! Hopefully you know who you are, and you know why I am thankful for you. I hope I tell you how grateful I am to have you in my life. Forgive me if I haven't said it in a while, but I am so incredibly grateful to have YOU, who is reading this right now, in my life!! I love you.

In the last week I was able to practice beautiful patience with perseverance. As you all know I flew out to San Diego pretty much over-confident of the job I was interviewing for thinking it was in the bag. I flew in Wed, had a four hour interview with three different people that same day, was told they would call me the next day... they didn't. So I went Thrus-Sun relaxing, meditating, planning my next move. Thursday I called the Hyatt, left a voice mail. Friday I e-mailed the Hyatt. Monday I applied to two other hotels and random office jobs; I walked out of Monday with an office job $8/hr part to full-time (better than Pietro's!). I worked Tuesday morning, e-mailed the Hyatt that afternoon to let them know I now have a full-time job, 30 minutes later they called to set up my final interview for Wed.

At this point I am pretty frustrated, but lackadaisical at the same time. I want to work for a company that respects my time, that calls when they say their gonna call, even if it is just to say, "We will have to push back the interview." Anyways, I had to tell the office job I couldn't work Wed because I had an interview. I walk into the Hyatt and first meet with an HR manager. He let me know that the job was a union position. This is kind of scary for me.. I know there are a lot of benefits to being part of a union, but I always hear some bad things too. If anything, I get great medical benefits by being apart of the union. Oh, and steady pay raises twice a year. After 30 minutes with HR, I met the GM of Hyatt. He was so super intimidating. I thought the interview went really well. The both of us were really engaged in conversation. I walked out of there so unsure... up to that point I had interviewed with four manager and I walked out of each interview thinking "I got this!" Because the manager pretty much told me I was what they were looking for. I walk out of the interview with the GM and there was no affirmation; he really made me nervous!! He did also say, in a half jokingly way, "You really should finish your degree." I answered, "I'm planning on it." He replied, "No, everybody always says 'next semester, next semester' I'm telling you, you have to just go now or you'll never do it. In fact, if I hire you I require you to go back to school and finish." I kind of liked the fatherly "I'm looking out for your best interest" speech. Normally I hate it, but coming from such a successful person in the industry, it was good to hear.

So three days go by, I had interviewed with another hotel, received a couple other call backs, but the Hyatt is the best opportunity for me. After three days... and no call back yet, I was getting really nervous and Lauren, who works there now was getting really nervous! She went to work on Friday and started asking everyone questions. "Have you heard anything yet? What's going on!?" haha, I love her. Well it worked, cause then all of a sudden one of her co-workers calls her from the break room and said, "Hey your roommate got hired! Her name is on the Front Desk schedule!" Lauren called me, freaking out she was so excited, then said, "You have to act surprised when they call you though!" This was Thursday.

Friday comes and finally at like 6:00PM they call and offer me the position of Front Desk Associate, $13.49/hr full-time (until the fall, then we'll see what happens--but it could be perfect for going back to school), full benefits, after working for Hyatt for a full year I get 12 complimentary nights at any Hyatt in the world. There are tons of other little benefits too, such as discounts on Ford vehicles and with cell phone companies. So yea, here is to the start of a career with Hyatt. I am committing to one employeer... I can actually see a future here. And it is so easy to transfer within the company to other locations. The Front Desk is not the job I came here for, but it is definitely better... and I got it because one manager saw potential in me to "perform at a very high skill level."

I have orientation May 2nd and then the summer will sky rocket from there. I have so much peace being here. I don't remember, ever feeling as if I were in the right place at the right time. My confidence is building in all areas of my life. I still have bad habits I am re-shaping, reforming, replacing with new better-for-me habits. San Diego isn't perfect, but it fits.

Also, last Thrusday I went to a woman's Bible study. The ladies were so sweet. Right now they are studing the different names of God. This weeks lesson was on Jehovah Nissi, "God my Banner" from Exodus 17. It was how God is our standard, our rock, our well-spring, our water to drink. It was a pretty amazing lesson and such a great time to be reminded that as my life may move at the speed of sound, God is my Banner. Call me anything but lonely, God is totally with me! I know this, and I am forever grateful for it. He shows Himself to me through the people I meet, through the beauty of the world around me, through His word, just everywhere.

P.S. Getting a job after living in a new city for 10 days isn't bad... technically it was only 5 because I got the office job first.

Special thank you to Lauren!! I love you and I so appreciate our friendship! Thank you for all of your love and generosity!! Sisters for life!