Direction

When I was younger I thought that I was going to be an astronaut. I imagined myself floating through space and dancing on the moon. I planned my life to a t. As the years went by my ideas changed, as I changed. There were so many things that I wanted to accomplish before I got to a certain age. Goals and ambitions that I wanted to do. One thing that I have learned is that no plan in life ever goes according to plan. Seasons change and so do people.

In the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
 "Lives of great men all remind us
 We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
 Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main ,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and wait.

(From A Psalm of Life)

The last part if that poem really spoke to me. Waiting for God's direction is sometimes hard to do, but without His direction we are just stumbling through life. I want to still be achieving, still pursuing, but with a purpose. I want to know that what I am doing is what God wants me to do. And maybe a forlorn brother or sister can take heart when they see that there is a plan for their lives. Not just a random occurrence.

Outside the Zone

Change is one of the most important things that we need in our lives in order for it to be a life worth living. Yet change is often met with fear and uncertainty. It would be far more comfortable to just sit back and stay in the familiar. It is so easy to just grow accustomed to our lives and not change anything.  But going out of your comfort zone and really experiencing something new can be life changing.
    When I was 14, I hopped on a plane to British Columbia without knowing a soul. At first I was terrified at being at a new school, but gradually I grew to love it. That has been one of my greatest memories because I challenged myself to take a chance and go out of my comfort zone.
    Leaving your comfort zone doesn't have to be done in an earth shaking way such as moving across the country. It can happen by trying something new or waving at a stranger on your way home. Life is made up of experiences and memories. So why not choose to make amazing ones and constantly challenge yourself to leave that little box of familiarity and experience something new.