A New Chapter: Changing Careers, Checkpoint Children, and understanding Psalm 56.

Well hello there, it’s been quite some time since my last blog post. So long in fact, my preoccupations with life and career change made my commitment to my readers slide. For that, I offer a sincere apology. I understand that when life gets hectic, certain things get pushed to the side, and with that comes compliancy, distance and forgetfulness. In saying that, some things are worth staying consistent with and that includes my writings. Everyone needs encouragement – including me. Over the past few years, I have received messages and comments from people who have been touched by my blog, and that makes these writings worth it.

With that said, lets get into the meat and potatoes of this blog post. (I use meat and potatoes because that’s a meal I’d love to have write now, but considering the stomach bug plague has struck my household, its not on the menu!)

I hope you enjoy this weeks blog, from The Eason Clan.

Changing Careers

It’s hard to believe… but I actually changed careers. Some of you might switch a job once every couple of years, or maybe you’re the person who stays at a singular job for life. Well this switch for me was a significant. I say that with all sincerity and humbleness, because leaving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and returning to teaching was a huge leap for me. I spent eight years working in the RCMP as a Telecommunications Operator – a demanding career with great rewards; one of which was a close-knit, coworker atmosphere. A job that literally commands your awareness and your critical thinking skills are constantly being tested and stretched, as you deal with serious incidents with lives on the line.

I said it for eight years, and I will always say this: I have never witnessed (or been involved with) another occupation, that works so efficiently during high-stress, critical incidents, as a room of trained telecommunications operators working together as one. It’s quite amazing to witness. They work 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day – a sacrifice for most.

I know of this sacrifice, because I missed out on many family events, meetings and church gatherings. Sacrifice comes with the job, and the job can also take from you as well – for each person it is different, and for me personally I have things yet to deal with. With that all said, I knew my time had come a couple of years ago, and through prayer, patience and consulting with family and friends a door opened.

God created that door and held it open for me.

I can’t give credit to anyone else, for how my new career came to be. Yes, certain people were instrumental with getting me in through that door, but ultimately it was God who made the door. I have been blessed yet again. I was blessed when I first signed the papers with the RCMP, with almost eight years of continuous, full time employment, benefits, great friends and life experience. Now, I am blessed even more: a full time teaching career, doing what I absolutely love – teaching students and being a model of God’s love in their lives. I went from one family to another, and that is a beautiful thing.

We all have new chapters in our lives at some point – where the beginning seems daunting, the middle unknown, and the end out of reach, yet that is all part of the journey. The band Petra in their song Beyond Belief puts it this way, “Moving can seem dangerous, in this stranger’s pilgrimage. Knowing that you can’t stand still you cross the bridge…Leap of faith without a net, makes us want to hitch our bed. Waters never part until our feet get wet, whoa!”

The most important thing is this: to make sure that the journey you embark upon is being led by God. Only then, will you have peace as He leads you through the journey. If I left the RCMP two years earlier, I most likely would not have ended up with the career I have now. I would have launched off the line prematurely, and settled for second best. Waiting was very hard, especially the last few weeks before I started teaching. However, God was working behind the scenes – and that my friend, was a comforting thought for me, even when things seemed bleak from the outside.

I learned much, experienced much and made friends within the RCMP, and for that I will always be thankful. Ohhhhhh yeahhhhhhh! (Inside joke :P)

As Bilbo Baggins said in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings, ” Don’t adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story.”

Checkpoint Children

Yesterday morning – while I lay in my bed recovering from a stomach virus – I heard my wife’s footsteps echo faintly up the stairs. Lying next to me was my daughter Railene (sick as well), and we both stirred out of our sleep. Our hearing excellent, but someone else’s was even better.

“Whose dere?” a small voice called from across the hall.

“It’s Mom, go back to sleep.”

“Okay, Mommmmm.”

Melissa opened the door to the bedroom, and I said cheekily, “Isaac on guard duty, eh?”

She laughed.

It’s nearly impossible to travel up or down our stairs without attracting attention. It’s not that the stairs are overly loud or squeaky, but you hear a few creaks no matter what side you walk on. Those few sounds are enough though, to attract the ears of my elven eared children.

Quite often I feel like Gimili in The Lord of the Rings, [paraphrased by writer], “Here’s one dad they won’t ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox.”

“Daddy, you breathe so loudly we could have shot you in the dark,” said all my children in their rooms upstairs.

That reminds me.

Years ago when I returned from a short nightshift (it was around 3:30 a.m.) with the RCMP, I quietly walked up the front steps, unlocked the door to the house and made my way inside. Ever so carefully laying my jacket on the bench (I wouldn’t open the closet, for fear of waking the children) and I crept up the stairs. Half way up, a voice suddenly bellowed from the nearest room.

“HELLO? DAD IS THAT YOU?” Benaiah shouted.

“Shhhhhh!” I whispered, “Yes it’s me, go back to bed!”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY!?”

“It’s me! Yes, go to bed.”

“Okay Dad, goodnight.”

Yeesh.

Thankfully the four people upstairs didn’t wake at my sons perimeter check. I am thankful though, if someone ever tried to get in, I have multiply alarm systems on alert, performing checkpoint duty sporadically…my checkpoint children.

Psalm 56

I recently read Psalm 56 in my Bible. One thing I love about reading the Bible, is that you could literally read it a thousand times, yet each time you can learn something new. That’s what makes the Bible so different than any other book in the world. So let me break down Psalm 56 briefly for you.

David is the writer of this Psalm, and I want to give some historical context of the time when it was written. David was being hunted by King Saul, the leader of Israel. If Saul had a reason for hunting down David, it was because of his own jealously and unfounded paranoia, and the bible said that Saul was afflicted by a tormenting spirit (1 Samuel 18:9-10) Rather than fighting the enemies of Israel, (which there were many) King Saul became consumed with hunting down one of his most loyal soldiers, David. Using some of Israel’s elite troops (comparison to modern times: the U.S. Marines) Saul searched through caves, valleys, mountains and countryside trying to capture and kill his rival.

Psalm 56 tells us of a crazy point in time for David. David knew that he could only hide so long, before Saul would eventually catch up to him. So in desperation, he allowed himself to be taken by Israel’s sworn enemies, the Philistines.

Remember the story of David and Goliath? Guess who Goliath was?

A Philistine champion.

The most decorated and experienced soldier in their army…annnndd David struck him in the head with stone from his sling in one vs one combat…

and….he then cut off Goliaths head with Goliath’s own sword, in front of the Israeli and Philistine army. The Israelites go on to beat the Philistines over and over for years, with David and his forces leading the way.

Now we have David – fleeing to the Philistines so as not to be captured by King Saul – being led into their capital, Gath, to meet the Philistine King, Achish. Once inside, the Philistine army commanders remind the king of David’s exploits, they said, “Isn’t he (David) the one the people honour with dances, singing, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens thousand”?” With this, David pretends to be insane before the King, drooling and scratching doors with his nails. ( 1 Samuel 21:11-13,)

With that King Achish tells his men to get David out of his sight, and then David escapes and hides in the cave of Adullam.

Here is Psalm 56.

1 O God, have mercy on me,
    for people are hounding me.
    My foes attack me all day long.
2 I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,
    and many are boldly attacking me.
3 But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.
4 I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

5 They are always twisting what I say;
    they spend their days plotting to harm me.
6 They come together to spy on me—
    watching my every step, eager to kill me.
7 Don’t let them get away with their wickedness;
    in your anger, O God, bring them down.

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.[b]
    You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
    You have recorded each one in your book.

9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
    This I know: God is on my side!
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
    yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
    and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
13 For you have rescued me from death;
    you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
    in your life-giving light.

We can see clearly from David’s writing, that he was struggling. Battling with fear and anxiety, battling against the unknown. But yet in the middle of it all, he cried out to God to rescue him and to be the strength he needs to go on. Not only does he ask God for help, he gives thanks to the Lord in the midst of his struggle.

9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
    This I know: God is on my side!
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
    yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

Let us remember that today. If your going through a difficult season – maybe it might even be seasons, a seemingly never-ending cycle – be encouraged that breakthrough can be yours, through the power of Jesus Christ, our Lord. There are things we just can’t do. You can’t heal yourself. You can’t make someone love you. For those struggling with depression or anxiety, you may very well feel like you can’t get out of bed because your thoughts are waying you down and the pressures on your mind are so mentally exhausting.

Let’s face it friends, there are many things I can’t do and You can’t do it. However, there is good news today, as recorded in the book of Zechariah 4:6, “This is the word of God to Zerubbabel saying: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

There is a power greater than all our worries, concerns, cares, disorders, and anything this life can throw at us… and that power is found in Jesus Christ alone.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Have a fantastic day and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Christian