It's the beginning of summer in small town USA, which also means it’s High School graduation season! Cue the caps and gowns, pomp and circumstance marches, social media posts galore, and more grad party invites than I can count. My husband and I are truly humbled and blessed to have such amazing opportunities to support, encourage, coach, minister to, inspire, and watch as the young people we know and love grow into the wonderful adults they have become.
When I first graduated high school, I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. At the time many teachers were on strike and several teachers I knew were discouraging me from going into the field. So after a college mass economics class, managerial accounting class, and marketing class I was hooked! I had a knack for business writing, analyzing situations and making the best financial and marketing decisions possible for my fictitious businesses I was running in my college classes. Four years later, I graduated with a Bachelor's in Science and Marketing Degree and off into the business world I went (and victoriously remain).
As I reflect, I often look back to my high school graduation. Everyone asking me what my “big plans” were for my life. What college I was going to. What degree I was going to chase after. What dream job I was aspiring to after college. Little did I know that my plans would unfold and change four times over again before landing on a chosen major and career.
Wholly intimidating! I mean really…. is the expectation that we have to meticulously plan out the rest of our lives immediately after graduation? Of course not, but then why do we ask these questions? Why do we put so much pressure on these graduates (or ourselves)? Perhaps this conviction will creep up again before the next graduation celebration we attend, and keep us from asking such deep questions even we ourselves cannot answer?
I believe that life was meant to be lived, enjoyed, cherished. It’s not a rat race to the finish line. I also believe that God is never done with us. I don't think we were designed to have just one single purpose or destiny in life.
I know many people who are fully trying to chase their purpose. Wanting to learn their “calling” in life right now so that they can fulfill it. Wanting to understand just who God meant for them to be. While this sounds mystical, adventurous, maybe even somewhat romantic... I call bluff!
I think it is in the messy, the mundane, the day to day living where God will lead us and our purpose will find us. This is where our creativity finds joy and solutions to our everyday life. This is where our knacks for certain tasks or skills begin to shine. There is where our community grows strong and relationships become loving and fierce in the best ways possible. And this is where our hope and faith in our creator is on display and tested day by day.
Perhaps your were made for such a time as this (Esther 4:14)! Perhaps your calling is a culmination of many things- being a great friend, a husband or wife, parent, coach, mentor, or volunteer. Perhaps this unique recipe or culmination of these callings is preparing you for your very next calling? or the calling after that? Each phase and season is a set up in preparation for the next! I think country artist Thomas Rhett has a similar thought- check out his song Be A Light:
In a race that you can't win, slow it down Yeah, you only get one go around 'Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground In a race you can't win, just slow it down
In a world full of hate, be a light When you do somebody wrong, make it right Oh, don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine In a world full of hate, be a light
I promise you, I too am still learning what I want to be when I grow up. And its totally okay to live in the unknown. It's okay to not know or not have a plan for everything.
When I finally figure it out, I will let you know! For now, I am just going to keep being a light to everyone in my path (so keep those sunglasses nearby).