What I want to be when I Grow Up

When I was little, I wanted to be everything.  I wanted to be a nurse and help people. I wanted to be a secretary and answer phones and file paperwork in an office. I wanted to work as a cashier at a grocery store, scan items and be rewarded with that lovely little beeping sound. Yep...I've always had big dreams...just had a hard time deciding which one was the one I wanted to pursue (for longer than 1 or 2 days-er, hours).

 

By the time I had reached the ripe old age of 13, I had pretty much decided I was going to be a journalist. I love to write, and I decided that getting paid to do what I loved was a pretty good option. I started looking at various colleges and their journalism programs and decided that my dream job was to work at WORLD magazine. Yep...I had everything planned out perfectly.

Then, something happened I hadn't really been planning on: I grew restless. Gasp. Yes...hard to imagine a teenage girl changing her mind on something, but I did. Don't ask me why, but somehow, journalism began to lose its appeal.I din't find it quite as exciting as I had. I had just turned 16, and was feeling rather lost (kind of young to be having a mid-life crisis, huh?). I had no idea what else I was interested in....if I didn't want to go into journalism, what DID I want to do?
 

And that's where God stepped in....have you ever seen the movie "Beyond the Blackboard"? It's a Hallmark movie about a young teacher who poured her heart and soul into teaching and loving a group of homeless kids. I watched it one night and was just blown away. It made me realize that I wanted to be a teacher...a teacher who pours her whole self into helping children discover the joys of learning. A teacher children love and respect. A teacher who can gently, yet firmly guide growing minds down the right path. A teacher who can touch the minds and hearts of her young students. A teacher who can minister love while at the same time teaching fractions. <<I am amazed that God revealed all this to me through a simple movie....He's pretty wonderful, isn't He?
 

So...this is where I am. Maybe I'll change my mind again, or God might reveal a new path to me. Who knows?!? But I do know this much: God has brought me this far, and I'm gonna trust Him to carry me the rest of the way.