Living a life that relies upon the providence from God's Holy Spirit and hand is proving to be the grandest adventure I could ask for. Growing up I wanted adventure like any little boy. As I continued to live I sought out more adventure. Then as I became a teenager I realized there were basically three paths those around me chose. 1. Self-made adventure, which was often at the expense of those around them so they could achieve their dreams as the priority. 2. Those who played it "safe" and followed the crowd around them. 3. Those who sought to give up their dreams at that time, trusting that God's were much grander and stepped out in faith to take hold of that.
Like anyone, I too went through having dreams and wondering which one God could possibly want me to seek and achieve to bring honor and glory to Him. There is that stressful time between your Junior year of High School and sometimes as late as your Junior year of College when you go back and forth between majors, believing the lie our society tells us that "what you choose will determine what you will do for the rest of your life." As time has continued to tick away, so have I, but with passion and drive towards God. Though I have seldom felt like every part of me was 100% on board with the idea of trusting all dreams and aspirations and possibilities of my life to God, I did the best I could with what I had. That often lead me to times of prayer when I felt like God would simply smile and tell me to "just trust Him and wait" that "His timing was not my timing" but that "He would never let me down or fail me". So, though often frustrated, I asked Him for the faith to trust in Him and seek Him.
As I constantly struggled through college I questioned if my dream of being a band director was indeed my purpose. I was quite confused as to why on earth my passion for music and sharing it with others and teaching were so strong, but all my classes were so incredibly difficult for me. After graduating even my professors shook their heads in disbelief on how I made it with such a stressful schedule. The applauded me on my perseverance and congratulated me. When I tried to thank them, they put it right back on me, saying things such as "I don't know how you did it, but you did, and way to go!"
I knew God had given me talents in the area of teaching and music and was filled with determination filled by the strength of God's supernatural Grace. They may not know how I made it, but I do, it was God through me. I questioned if I could make it through the program while working so much on top of it (which I had to) nearly EVERY SEMESTER. Semester after semester I would meet with my professor nearly at my wits end, contemplating my major. Then there was an end to it.... One semester my advisor asked me, "Kris, what can not imagine living without?" The answer was simple fo me, Teaching Music. From that point on whenever things got really hard and I felt like I was going to drop to the ground in exhaustion or not be physically, mentally, emotionally able to face the day, God strengthened me and I would say "I'll graduate with this degree even if it literally KILLS ME! And I meant it.
One year after God carried me to that finish line of victory and celebration, I am sit here in South Korea having finished my first year of teaching "ENGLISH" in a public High School... (To be continued)
Like anyone, I too went through having dreams and wondering which one God could possibly want me to seek and achieve to bring honor and glory to Him. There is that stressful time between your Junior year of High School and sometimes as late as your Junior year of College when you go back and forth between majors, believing the lie our society tells us that "what you choose will determine what you will do for the rest of your life." As time has continued to tick away, so have I, but with passion and drive towards God. Though I have seldom felt like every part of me was 100% on board with the idea of trusting all dreams and aspirations and possibilities of my life to God, I did the best I could with what I had. That often lead me to times of prayer when I felt like God would simply smile and tell me to "just trust Him and wait" that "His timing was not my timing" but that "He would never let me down or fail me". So, though often frustrated, I asked Him for the faith to trust in Him and seek Him.
As I constantly struggled through college I questioned if my dream of being a band director was indeed my purpose. I was quite confused as to why on earth my passion for music and sharing it with others and teaching were so strong, but all my classes were so incredibly difficult for me. After graduating even my professors shook their heads in disbelief on how I made it with such a stressful schedule. The applauded me on my perseverance and congratulated me. When I tried to thank them, they put it right back on me, saying things such as "I don't know how you did it, but you did, and way to go!"
I knew God had given me talents in the area of teaching and music and was filled with determination filled by the strength of God's supernatural Grace. They may not know how I made it, but I do, it was God through me. I questioned if I could make it through the program while working so much on top of it (which I had to) nearly EVERY SEMESTER. Semester after semester I would meet with my professor nearly at my wits end, contemplating my major. Then there was an end to it.... One semester my advisor asked me, "Kris, what can not imagine living without?" The answer was simple fo me, Teaching Music. From that point on whenever things got really hard and I felt like I was going to drop to the ground in exhaustion or not be physically, mentally, emotionally able to face the day, God strengthened me and I would say "I'll graduate with this degree even if it literally KILLS ME! And I meant it.
One year after God carried me to that finish line of victory and celebration, I am sit here in South Korea having finished my first year of teaching "ENGLISH" in a public High School... (To be continued)
