This Fall I will begin my 5th year of teaching. Usually when I tell people that they look at me and ask how old I am. I think the fact that I am 25 and single causes people to think I am younger than I am (and graduating high school a year early probably didn’t help). But even though this will be year 5, it will be the very first time that I am not a “first year” teacher. My work experience has been varied and ever changing. In four years I have worked in four different positions, at three different schools, and in two different countries. That’s exactly what college professors tell you NOT to do. I never planned on things turning out like this, but I guess I didn’t have a specific plan after college. Instead of being a five year plan kind of girl, I can be somewhat of a dreamer with too many ideas, (I blame my dad for that trait :)
As I look back at life post-college, I can honestly say that I am more excited about the future than when I first graduated. Why? Well, I think it’s a mix of a few things.
For one, I have learned to love the unexpected. Teaching elementary students or moving to Ecuador were never things I planned on, but God taught me so much through those times. I learned to laugh at my mistakes with my dear fourth graders, and my passion for Spanish and missions grew in a very genuine way as I lived in Ecuador. The friends and the experiences of those times have formed the life I hope to live for the sake of the Kingdom.
Another reason is that I’ve learned to enjoy alone time/independence. I have not mastered this by any means, but I sincerely enjoy the times I can go to a coffee shop on my own to read and write or work. God has clearly allowed for this time, although I know that I have wasted some of it by simply focusing on myself. By God’s grace, He put family and friends in my life to tell me when I was being too self focused – and they were usually right. That leads to another reason these years have been a blessing…
People!! I have had the opportunity to meet, serve and get involved in the lives of so many people these last four years. Being single opens up a lot of doors to serve. I know there are more opportunities I could have taken, but learning from people in all stages of life has been an encouragement and challenge. Friendships have deepened because of the struggles and the liberties this time has allowed.
As I start this fifth year, my circumstances haven’t changed dramatically(besides the fact that I teach Spanish now instead of English). Am I still a teacher? Yes. Am I still single? Yes. Do I know where life is headed? Nope. Those are the same answers you would have heard from me four years ago. However, by God’s grace and patience in my life, I am much more content giving those answers. For now, God wants me to teach Spanish. I will continue to do that until God makes it clear that I should do something else. Oh sure, I have many ideas of what that could be: missions, going back to school for counseling, a family, and so on. However, God knows best. He will do what is best. My heart is not so much concerned with the “where” or “when”. My prayer is that I know my heavenly Father better and serve His kingdom. I have much to learn, and fall short of having the right perspective more often than I realize, but thankfully God doesn’t stop teaching me (Philippians 1:6).
I’m not sure what this next year will hold, but I’m excited for the unknown.
“The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all He has made.”
Psalm 145:9
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