Radical

I spent some time today catching up on my friends blogs... including one that talked about being radical. That really influenced me as I have had my life massively altered in recent days, but have not told too many people about it.
As many of you know, my plan after graduation was to go one of the Dakotas to teach. I had researched it online, knew a significant amount about it, and have been telling people that that's where I planned to get a full-time teaching job for years. It was a 'safe' choice, even though teaching there isn't easy.
I'm a very safe person: I set up my retirement funds at 18 and slowly add to it with each paycheck now. I live below my means and am ready to pay my school loans when they are due. (In high school, Coach mentioned that one of her gifts to her husband was no student loan debt and I've desired to follow that plan as well.) I live in a cheap apartment that's affordable and am blessed to have it filled with things that I need and might need in the future.
So my plans are set... graduate with my masters and get a full-time teaching job. Teaching is a safe job as long as you are willing to move.

God steps in to alter these plans massively:
1. He slowly reduces my desire to have a classroom of my own and shows me the joys of subbing.
2. He gives me a position as a Graduate Assistant where I can interact with people around campus in many different offices and students of all ages. I help perspective students through alumni... focusing mostly on students at the campus.
3. He allows me freedom to finish my grad program with flexibility to be determined in the Fall.
4. He enabled my required classes to not be on Wednesdays so I could begin to help with the ministry of my church and pour into those students.
5. He brought back the thoughts of being a full-time missionary that I had pushed onto the far back burner for years.
6. He gave me the strength to make that first call saying that I was interested and wanted more information about it.
7. He has given me supportive parents and many people praying about it.

I'm confident that if I am supposed to have this job then I will get it. The application and references are partially filled out on my computer and my excitement is building to think about the job.
Now full-time missionary is not what I ever anticipated doing with my life. I've loved teaching and working with kids for about 10 years and this job isn't with kids. But, as I look back and see what else God has been doing to prepare me for this it's amazing.

During the 2nd service trip, I was a co-coordinator but also an RA in training on campus. This meant that after the first day I could only be at the trip starting between 8 and 11 pm and then had to return to campus for 8am breakfast. I spent those hours at night fellowshipping with others while also doing the paperwork, making sure food was set for the next day, and organizing other things. After two days of this I got frustrated because I felt like I wasn't doing any service. One of the guys on the trip told me "I don't want to ever hear you say that again. Your service is to do this work so that everyone else can go out and serve." That comment, probably made about 1am, has dramatically changed my way of thinking.
It's not my calling to go out and change the world dramatically. Instead God has given me the gifts of shepherding, administration, and giving so that I could instead help enable others to go out and serve. We can all be world-changers, but first we have to be changed to be willing to follow God's path, wherever it may lead.
For me, I believe that the job I'm preparing mentally and physically for now is one that God has called me to for five or more years. It's not a 'safe' job as I would have to raise my own salary and depend on God for all providence. Regardless of my initial hesitations, I believe that having this job (if it's God's will for me to do it now), would benefit God, others, and myself.
Changing my dream of teaching kids to being a full-time missionary hasn't been easy, but I know that God is providing for it to happen. Only time will tell what the end result will be on me getting the job and raising the funds. May God have all the glory in whatever I do in my life.

P.S. If you want to know what the job is message me and I'll post it on here once it's more settled. In the meantime, prayer is powerful!