Where will you be a year from now? Of course you don’t really know, but where do you want to be? What choices will you make to get there? How about this: where were you a year ago? At that time, did you expect you’d be where you are right now, at this moment? I didn’t.
A year ago I was flying high and feeling good about life. I wasn’t making amazing money, but I was comfortable. I had social status as a chaplain for a non-profit. I was enjoying life.
Then the words came: “Funding has dried up.” That’s fancy talk for, “You can’t work here anymore. We don’t have money to pay you.” With a few utterances of sound from our CEO’s mouth, my world crumbled. My nice little life was suddenly destroyed.
I was offered an alternative position fit me like a glove for a four year old. Eventually I came to grips with the reality that I was suffocating in life and being pushed to make a change. I hate change. I don’t typically deal with it well. I get grumpy and snappy and generally am miserable to be around. Nonetheless, change is what I chose into. And it’s been hard.
A year ago I did not expect to be sitting in a different state job hunting (that’s my euphemism for unemployed) and waiting to pursue further schooling aggressively once I can pay in-state tuition. I really feel like I’m at a sorry place in life. I’m pushing thirty and don’t have much to show for myself. Often I’m tempted to feel sorry for myself. To pity myself. To judge myself. But the constant reality of change gives me hope even while it has destroyed my safe little world.
A year from now I will be in a different place in life. I am making choices now to steer my path where I want to go. I am empowered. Opportunities abound before me. Even though these days I feel more discouraged than encouraged, I know there is hope and positive growth will come as a result of today’s pain. Through it all, God is present. He’s loving me, cheering me on, guiding me. He is in control.
So where will you be a year from now? Be certain that life is not certain, and it will change. What do you want to be doing? Who do you want to be with? What significant relationships will you be involved in? Will you be talking and listening to the One who’s with you in it all?
Take it from someone who’s faced the change and is reaching his arms out to embrace it: a magnificent change is only a year away.
