August 30-September 5, 2011- When I grow up…

     Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do when we leave the islands.  With uncertainty abounding both here and in the states, I don’t know where I’ll be, even next year.  For today, I don’t have plans to leave the atoll, but tomorrow, well, who knows what tomorrow will bring.  Every couple of months or so, I look around at possible job opportunities, sometimes in the states, sometimes overseas. It’s just wishful thinking, mostly, and it helps me to identify what types of jobs exist out there where I might fit in with my education and experience.  ESL or college teaching jobs are usually the focus, but other areas pop up every now and then that I never thought about before.  For example, who knew that National Parks often have education directors who write and apply for grants and direct educational opportunities for children and adults alike?  I didn’t until I found a position online a couple of years ago that does just this.  I think I would love this type of job, and I have experience with grant writing and developing educational program materials to boot. Another career possibility I’ve considered is within the church, although I don’t have the seminary education I would probably need for this, I would love to direct children’s and/or youth programming as well as Sunday School and other educational programs within a large church which can actually hire and pay for someone to direct this area of ministry.    I’ve wanted to do a Vacation Bible School here over the summer for a couple of years now, but we simply don’t have enough population on the atoll in summer to pull it off successfully, although my experience with recreational/academic programs for children and adults would serve me well in this area of the church. I have actually done a search before for church jobs, and there are all sorts of job boards out there.  The internet and its far-reaching resources are quite amazing at times and very scary at other times.

     Bottom line, I really don’t know what I want to be when I grow up and leave the atoll I’ve called home for so long now.  I don’t know what God has in store. All I know is that I want to do something that makes a difference for others. I want to serve in a way that is fulfilling for both me and those I work with and for.  I want to live and work with purpose, and I know if that’s what my heart truly desires, God will find a way to fulfill His purposes through me.  For now, I believe much of my purpose is in raising my babies and preparing my heart and mind for whatever my Father has in store next, and there is more than enough meaningful purpose for me in that today.  I told my fiancé this morning that I have no plans to leave here anytime soon, and he giggled knowing that my mind changes sometimes daily on that point, and even though it is sometimes a struggle to not be concerned about the future for our family, I am going to strive to worry only about today, not tomorrow or next week because the future has enough trouble of its own.  As it says in Matthew 6:25-34:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Enough said, right?! J