Defining Moments
Today I was speaking with the senior pastor at the church I work at about the defining moments in out lives. Think of the times when you made a decision, either to do or not to do something, and how that decision has paved the road to where you are at right now.
For example, I have often reflected on my decision to attend USC. I went there with the intention of obtaining my Bachelors of Architecture from one of the best architecture schools in the nation. I wanted to design buildings and be rich and famous. However, within a semester, I felt the Lord urging my heart to pursue His calling - working with youth. I switched my major to Education and eventually to Psychology. And I didn't even finish. I heeded the advice of pretty much everybody; stick it out at USC (even though I was paying for it all myself), the cost is not a factor, it will all come back to you eventually. Frankly, a degree at USC doesn't really matter in pursuing the ministry. My qualifications come (or should) purely from the Lord. I have often regretted attending USC, primarily for the large debt that I now have to various financial instutions.
However, if I had not attended USC, I would not be here right now. I may or may not have been in the ministry. I would not have been involved with the founding of USC's only Christian fraternity, and thus I would not be involved in Boulder right now. I would not have gotten involved at Bel Air Pres, and thus I would have never been trained as a river guide. That training brought me into the outdoor industry and that industry brought me to Colorado. What would have happened? Well, I can only speculate and wonder.
Anyways, this conversation came up while talking about the air force. In my senior year of high school I was offered a ROTC scholarship with the option of flight training. Kinda tripped me out... I knew they had my ASVAB scores, but they found a bunch of other test scores including medical records with my vision scores on them. Anyways - I was very much tempted. It had been a boyhood dream of mine to fly - everything from loving planes to my favorite boyish movie "Iron Eagle". However, even admist the turmoil of dealing with my father's suicide, I decided that I did not want to commit 12 years of my life to something at the age of 17. I get a headache wondering where I would be now and what I would be doing and what my character would look like if I had made that decision six years ago.
The list is endless on moments like these. What if I had driven a different route? What if I had stayed home? What if I went there instead of here?
The only thing that calms these wonderments in my mind is the knowledge that I am in God's hand. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to help you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." We must remember that we are in God's hands. We cannot even begin to understand or fathom where our lives will take us. Let us act with wisdom and discernemnt in those moments - and thus in all moments - because we often do not even know when those life altering moments are upon us - or how far those ripples in the pond will spread.
posted by Devo @ 1:08 PM
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