Do you ever feel like you have been called to some great life? Or some achievement that will put you in the history books or cause some artist to cast your likeness in stone for posterity to admire? Your hopes and dreams might not be this crazy, but let's be honest - we all secretly wish to do some great thing in our lives that rises above. That singles us out. Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with living and leaving a legacy. I know people who have done so (see the Legacy of Grace blog about Mom Mom) and would love to be able to leave just a bit of that in my lifetime.
But here's the deal: we get so caught up in waiting around for that "big dream" or "awesome calling" that God has in store for us that we completely miss stepping out to begin the journey. Instead of taking a small, single step to start, we want to leap across a chasm 100 feet wide. We need something that is worthy. That is big and awesome. Why? Why can't we see the small needs in front of us and start with them? Usually we feel those things are too small or insignificant - that they won't make a difference anyway. So why mess with the small stuff?
I remember walking home from school one day with my brother and discussing what I wanted to be when I grew up. It didn't really matter what industry I was going to be in, I was going to have the corner office with a view. I was gonna be be important. I was a little lofty in my aspirations, but when it came down to it, my desire was to make a difference somehow in the business world. Guess what I learned? You don't need a corner office to do that. You can influence anyone, anywhere, in any position by just being a team player. By helping them out or just speaking to them everyday. I don't need to be in the C-suite to be important or influential, you just need to respect others and treat them as you would like to be treated.
But I digress....
Then the summer of 2005 came around and (I still am amazed it happened) God called me to Ireland for a short-term missions trip. Ten days in Ireland on that mission and I just knew it. I was done. I had found my great calling. Ireland was it - I came home from that trip and was trying to figure out how to move there, freight my car over, and just start a completely new life. I was just going to up and go and the rest would figure itself out. God did definitely call me and I still have a heart for that beautiful country but guess what? I'm still living in Pennsylvania. I'm still pursuing my career. In ministry? Nope. The forklift industry. (Whaaaattttt???? yep) There is still involvement with the church in Ireland and I have not given up on my dreams, but God is still teaching me that He works on His time. Not mine. And He is slowing teaching me to be okay with that. I have been blessed beyond compare in my life and career here, so I am where He wants me to be.
This is the thing - when God calls us or gives us a vision for another country, we seem to think He is just going to hand us a care package and a plane ticket and send us there without any effort or care on our own part. A book I was reading said "God doesn't plant grand visions within us for our own entertainment. He does it to provoke us to grow up." As I look over the past few years, He has been showing me a lot about growing up. Three years ago I was moving forward with Ireland, I was researching work visas when He flipped the switch on me yet again. I was offered a promotion at work and I wasn't going to take it - I was going to go serve Jesus in Ireland and that was that. But He said no. Stay here. I have something else. And boy did He ever. I am still learning and working through just what He wants me to do here, but I do not regret the decision at all.
The moral of the story? Pay attention to the small things you are lead to do. The grand vision for your future is not as important as being obedient in the here and now. You just never know what other paths you will be lead down - because most of the time they reveal a vision greater than we could even have imagine. We just have to take the first steps to get there.
