A month or so ago I had the chance to hear Meera Bai speak about her time working at Insite, North America's only legalized drug injection site, located in Vancouver's downtown eastside. She spoke passionately about her time at InSite, and the importance of harm reduction, and how that fits with her Christian faith. Tonight I came across these youtube interviews with Meera, and had to share them. If you have the time to watch one, or all of them, I recommend them, if for nothing else than that they provide a very challenging perspective.
You can also sign a petition here asking the Federal Government to withdraw their lawsuit seeking to close Insite. It will take two minutes of your time if you're willing to add your voice to this important cause.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
One Year
A year ago today, my life changed drastically.
At the end of the work day, I was called into a manager's office, and told that my three year tenure with the company at which I was employed had come to an end. Immediately. They watched as I packed my office, escorted me down the elevator to a taxi, and sent on my way, with decisions to make about signing documents and severance.
I did a lot of crying, consulted a few trusted advisers, gritted my teeth, decided to take the money I was being offered, and choose to see this as God's hand moving me forward. Two days later I left for a two week road trip with my dad, and a few weeks after that I announced that I was going to pursue nursing as a career.
A year later, I can tell you that my life, though it looks nothing like I thought it might, is better for the end of my tenure at the company that my roommates referred to as "the soap opera."
But there remains painful twinges, as I think about that day. It's a bit of a humiliating thing to have a job end that way. Escorted out as if you can't be trusted. No chance to say goodbye to the friends you've shared the days with for three plus years.
It wasn't the start to a new path that I would have chosen. It's yet another thing in my life where I have to look at it and say, "even with that, I trust you, Jesus."
It has ushered in new and unexpected things, and today, as I ponder them, as I ponder this year of healing, I feel just a bit melancholy and sad. It's different than I would have chosen, because so rarely do my plans seem to be in synch with God's, but it's good. Today I'm thinking about the losses of this year of deconstruction, and praying for the healing and rebuilding that has begun.
At the end of the work day, I was called into a manager's office, and told that my three year tenure with the company at which I was employed had come to an end. Immediately. They watched as I packed my office, escorted me down the elevator to a taxi, and sent on my way, with decisions to make about signing documents and severance.
I did a lot of crying, consulted a few trusted advisers, gritted my teeth, decided to take the money I was being offered, and choose to see this as God's hand moving me forward. Two days later I left for a two week road trip with my dad, and a few weeks after that I announced that I was going to pursue nursing as a career.
A year later, I can tell you that my life, though it looks nothing like I thought it might, is better for the end of my tenure at the company that my roommates referred to as "the soap opera."
But there remains painful twinges, as I think about that day. It's a bit of a humiliating thing to have a job end that way. Escorted out as if you can't be trusted. No chance to say goodbye to the friends you've shared the days with for three plus years.
It wasn't the start to a new path that I would have chosen. It's yet another thing in my life where I have to look at it and say, "even with that, I trust you, Jesus."
It has ushered in new and unexpected things, and today, as I ponder them, as I ponder this year of healing, I feel just a bit melancholy and sad. It's different than I would have chosen, because so rarely do my plans seem to be in synch with God's, but it's good. Today I'm thinking about the losses of this year of deconstruction, and praying for the healing and rebuilding that has begun.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 273
Today's Daily 5:
- Good bus connections
- Comfy skinny jeans
- labyrinth walking
- sharing laughter over food with a dear friend
- bakery air
- peach mango smoothie
- chinese pork buns
- 7-Up
- a ride home after dinner
- early evening into pajamas
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 272
Today's Daily 5:
- the feeling of a hot shower on sore muscles
- canned peaches
- banana chocolate chip muffin
- a really lazy Sunday
- blended strawberry lemonade
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 271
Today's Daily 5:
- The feeling that comes from waking up from a really good sleep for the first time in quite a while
- Waking up feeling hopeful
- Gardening in the sun (I planted three kinds of lettuce, two kinds of onions, parsley, basil, green beans and beets)
- the great feeling that comes from watching television while cuddling under a freshly washed blanket that smells of lovely fabric softener
- laughing, hard, over a phone call from a friend in another country needing information about the traffic situation she was stuck in, and wondering if I could please google for her and find out what was up. (I'm still laughing at this one several hours later!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
