Although I've loved my work at The General, I seem to constantly be mulling over the age old question of "what am I to do with my life?" Its been ingrained in me by our culture that the answer lies in a career. As children we're asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?", in High School its "what college?", in College its "what major?" , and after college its "have you gotten a job yet?" I don't think these questions are necessarily bad because they really challenge us to keep moving forward and continue to remind us that we truly can be anything we want to be with a lot of hard work and determination. But what about those of us who don't follow the well traveled path to a career? Those questions can start becoming daunting and, even more so, discouraging.
I was certain my path would lead me into education and motherhood. So far neither has panned out (one by choice, the other by happenstance) and I'm left wondering what my purpose is to be if not those. My collection of odd jobs is not impressive and any future careers I could choose leave a bad taste in my mouth as in no thanks, not for me. Its not the idea of going back to school because lets face it I'm a nerd and I LOVE school, the smells, the grades, the papers, the reading, the organizational supplies and I'll stop now because I'm freaking some of you out. It's really the idea of a full-time, no flexibility, mundane job that would come out of a higher education. I like my life too much to have a job get in the way.....my dad laughs when I phrase it this way.
What is one to do when they aren't the "status quo"? When they don't have a "title"? She's a vet, he's a teacher, he's an engineer, she's a mom. There is nothing attached to my name except maybe she's a Davis (my maiden name) or, better yet, Jordan's wife. When I see that I feel both beloved and I also feel a bit of an identity crisis. That identity crisis part does NOT belong! That is the lie. My friend Kathryn put it this way "No job is perfect. No job will satisfy the deep longing of the soul that craves meaning, that is found only in the Creator Himself [...] Really, it doesn't matter what any of us do, we must learn to take both good and the bad, and sift through them, choosing our attitude and response to all things." We are called to do everything as if doing it for The Lord because we receive our inheritance from Him (Col 3:23-24).
Our purpose lies with our Creator. The answer to the age old question is this: I am to serve Him by loving those around me. If that means cleaning house, making people coffee, taking time to ask someone how they really are, taking out the trash, watching someone else's kids. I do not need a title to serve His bigger plan. The mundane is just as important as a career because even in the perfect job there is the mundane that has to be done. My greatest successes will be winning people over to Him through love. "For what is my hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you (those people I've loved and served)? For you are my glory and joy" (1 Thess 2:19-20).
