It's been four years since I graduated and began working at IBM and it's been 4 years since I've known that this is the summer I'll be leaving it all behind. Much praying and planning has went into this journey. I recently extended my thirty year plan into a sixty year plan… just in case I live that long.
I've never had a doubt that this is what God wanted me to do, though I've got to say, that a twinge of nervousness has crept up on my recently. With this next step I'll be leaving the common and familiar for the seldom and unfamiliar. I'll be trading a steady and solid income for unknown periods of debt. Most of all, I'll be giving up a job I love and daring to live a life of love.
One of my managers was relieved it wasn't due to any type of job dissatisfaction. "Well, I can't compete with God", he exclaimed. It turned out my other manager was on staff with Willow Creek earlier in his career. We ended up talking for a couple hours about life, discipline, and vision. It's interesting how as I've talked to others about this, what I'm hearing is that I'm "one of those people" who actually try to do something different; something they love in this life.
I've got a lot that I want to do in my life, but the truth is, after looking at my life from a sixty year perspective, I was starting to draw blanks on what else I might want to do. Most of us over estimate what we can do in a year, and drastically underestimate what we can do in ten or twenty years. The way I see it, with the pace of life as it is these days, we have the opportunity to live multiple life times, having different and worthwhile careers and passions during our time on earth. I know plenty of people who have things they want to do in life, but the reality is, they're just wish lists. Real dreams must be attempted.
I'm leaving this career, and taking the next step towards my dream of unleashing hope in others because I must. My heart demands it. And anything less would be a violation of who I'm called to be.
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