And so it begins...

Yesterday afternoon an e-mail from the United States postal service popped up announcing the first package from Randy Potters School of Piano Technology had arrived. I took a quick ten-minute break from work to run over to the post office.

A very large priority mail was waiting. But back to work I had to go. So the opening had to be delayed until after dinner and a shower.

There's a lot of material to be covered. So much that it took a good part of last evening and most of the afternoon and evening after work today to get it organized. I bought a huge binder for the "extra" material thrown in. And since I tend to misplace things unless I make a place, I also purchased a tool case for the initial tuning tools included with the course materials plus the ones the text suggests you acquire from the local hadware store.

And -- of course -- it's a bit humbling. There's so much detailed material to learn it's pretty obvious that the road to becoming a RPT (registered piano technician) is going to have some bumps along the way. On the other hand, it was all I could do to force myself to go to bed last night. I just kept reading, sorting and organizing -- then reading some more. The more I read the more I realized I've found something that I'm going to enjoy doing. I love the fact, as well, that it's a skill that's transportable. Once mastered, it's something you can make a living at regardless of where you live.

Despite staying up much too late last night reading and not getting my usual sleep quota, I woke refreshed this morning, did my new yoga routine (despite the fact that Ranger continues to believe the yoga mat is something to burrow under) and my usual meditation and reading from the Daily Word.

It's often the case when I'm reading the Daily Word that it seems like someone has written it for my unique situation. I suppose what that actually speaks to is the universality of what we all experience as we make our journey on this planet. Nonetheless, today's reading was so pointed at what I'm experiencing that much of it bears repeating.

I have journeyed to a crossroads of opportunity. This is a place for me to pause and reflect upon the road I have been traveling and the choice that lies ahead.

I imagine that I have just walked through the desert and have now reached an oasis with refreshing water, a cool breeze and a hammock tied between two shade-giving trees. I have reached a welcome refuge.

I experience this kind of an oasis when I let go of personal striving--trying to do it all myself--and let God guide me. A sense of calm washes over me as I release my concerns and trust that God will show me the way.

I pause, I listen and I discern the guidance I have been seeking. Following the guidance I receive leads me to my greater good.

Receiving that package in the mail yesterday with all its potential made me realize I've been wandering in the desert for a long time. Today's sorting and organizing was rest for me, an oasis of calm. And while there's a long road ahead to get to the next career, it no longer seems so daunting or hopeless.