For years, I prayed that the Lord would give me a new
beginning. I’ve made a boat load of bad
decisions and choices of which I’ve had to suffer the consequences for (just
because we may be a believer, it doesn’t mean that we are exempt from
consequences). Over the past two weeks,
I have had parties and farewell celebrations with family and friends as the
date to leave the DMV (DC, MD and VA area) swiftly approached.
Monday there was so much that was still left to do, but once
again my family and friends came to my rescue.
They not only helped me finish packing, they then packed up my car so
that I could get some sleep. The plan
was to leave at 3:00am Tuesday morning.
It was hard to sleep because my phone rang off of the hook. I wasn’t upset though. I was honored that so many people wanted to
talk to me see be before I left.
Although our feelings are real, a lot of times our feelings are not
true. Earlier in the day I said to
myself, “You know no one really cares
about you, right?” In that moment, that
was my feeling, but it was the furthest thing from the truth.
Tuesday morning I woke up at 2am.
I had to clean the bathroom, wash up and
double check that I packed everything up.
Before leaving my room at 2:40am, I gave it a once over.
At that moment, a wave of sadness washed over
me because that was the last time that I would be living in that room in that
bed watching that TV having access to that bathroom.
It was the last time that I would live with
May, Anthony and James and that made me a little sad.
There was a pleasant surprise for me when I
got downstairs though – FRIENDS to see me off.
Now that is love – when someone gets up out of their bed at 2something
in the morning to say goodbye.
When Daniel arrived, we hit to road.
The fog was dense and the car weighted down
by all of my worldly possessions that would fit in the backseat, trunk and
roof; but, the breeze was cool and the company great! Our first stop was in
Morgantown, WV.
We drove through West
Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri to finally arrive in Tula,
Ok.
The trip took about 19 hours.
We stopped a few times to get gas and a bite
to eat, but we kept in moving.
I did get
pulled over at one point because I was doing 85 in a 65, but again God’s grace
spared me from getting even a warning.
Wednesday – We spent the night in a hotel because it was too
late to check into my apartment.
Although I was grateful we arrived safely, I was not ready to get
started with the day.
All I wanted to do
was sleep, but there was too much that needed to be done.
I was able to get the keys to my apartment
and check out the place that I would be calling home for the next few
years.
When I opened the door, my jaw
dropped to the floor in disappointment.
How do people function in spaces this small was the only thought rolling
around in my head.
I’m so glad that
Daniel was with me because he offered some perspective and I got over my
disappointment.
The Mission: Make my
space work!
We unloaded the car and ran
errands.
We had to get cleaning supplies
and basic stuff.
While I cleaned, he
lined the shelves.
The day ended with a
great dinner from Joe’s Crab Shack and awesome conversation.
Thursday – Daniel’s flight was at 5:52am, which meant he had
to be at the airport around 4:30am.
When
I hugged him, I nearly begged that he would stay, but he said “NOPE, you’ve got
to do this!”
I slept most of the day
away because I was so tired, but there was one thing that had to be done – look
for a bed!
Mission accomplished, I not
only found a bed, but also was able to have it delivered today.
I was just so happy that I wouldn’t have to
sleep on the floor for one more night!
I
found the Apple Store and decided to have it fixed.
There were no more appointments, so I
scheduled to take it in on Friday but me being the great conversationalist that
I am ended up chatting up the manager.
I
shared with him that I applied online a few weeks ago.
He told me to expect a call from his general
manger.
Do you know how great that would
be, especially since it seems like my job with Macy’s has fallen through.
I don’t know that as fact, but considering I
keep calling, leaving messages and have yet to hear back from anyone speaks
volumes to me.
Friday – The goal was to unpack as many bags as possible. I must admit - I did pretty well. I did have to do some shopping though. I needed hangers and other odds and ends
around the house. I spent most of the
day in the house however. One of my
biggest concerns has been storage. I
went back and forth on should I or shouldn’t I have a dresser. If I got one, were would I put it? If I didn’t get one, where would I put my
stuff as it couldn’t reside on the floor.
The conclusion? I used my linen
closet!! I don’t have much linen, so the
different shelves are for different things.
This solution is creative and cost effective. The only thing that I did have to get was a
basket for my socks & tights.
Saturday – I woke up at 5:15 am with a runny nose and chest
congestion. Great, I can’t afford to be
sick on an importantly huge day. Today
was New Student Orientation and Move in.
Although I was not moving in, it was important that I complete my
registration process and just be apart of the festivities. All I wanted was my bed in Maryland! But since that was not possible, I went back
to sleep for a few hours. Because Oral
Roberts has a dress code, I put on a dress so that I wouldn’t look like the odd
man out. I get to campus and you won’t
believe it – everyone has on t-shirts, shorts and flip flops! Not only am I older than everyone else, I’m
TOTALLY overdressed. To top it off, my
financial aid does not cover all of my tuition so I have to come up with an
additional $2,600 by Thursday in order to attend classes. With a runny nose, upset stomach and a headache,
I headed home and put myself to bed. God
is my ultimate provider and it doesn’t take Him much time to work, but how is
this going to work out? When I woke up,
my eyes were running and it was official – home sickness is starting to set
in. I had been having problems setting
up my WiFi, but I didn’t care what it took, I was getting it setup and I
did. Finally, I have the ability to
connect to “my community”.
Sunday – I was able to watch both First Baptist and Zion
Church services online and it was great.
It was like I wasn’t far at all.
I decided to go on a mini road trip to see Tulsa first had.
I drove up E.71
st Street into the
mountains and saw dude ranches, cows, lama’s and my new community.
I also drove into downtown Tulsa.
It wasn’t what I expected.
I’m really glad I live here I live.
My first couple of days in Tulsa, Ok have been filled with
some ups and downs. Even though it’s
not comfortable, I know that this is the beginning to my “new beginning”. Let’s see what the Lord does!
That nagging question rolls around in my head, "Rochelle, did you really hear God and was this a good decision?" With tears in my eyes and a stuffy nose cause the tears won't stop rolling down my face, I have to declare that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. At home, I can depend on other people when there is a need, but here, I can't do that and that's hard. Growth hurts. Separation hurts, but they are both necessary. Ok, I'm putting myself to bed so I can stop crying.
