I had decided when I was young I wanted to be a teacher. In a book called "School Years" that my mom kept for my brother and I, every year it would ask the question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" My answer always, year to year, switched between a dancer and a teacher.
When I was a senior in high school it didn't surprise my parents when I told them I wanted to major in elementary education. But the thing was I also wanted to minor in dance and not many schools in the state offer that combination. I had about three to choose from: Stevens Point, Whitewater, and Milwaukee. Well, of course, being 17 my hometown college was OUT (but like any decent parents...mine pushed for that)! I had several people I knew that were down in Milwaukee and so that was my first choice. I applied to both Whitewater and Milwaukee and got into both, but for some reason my heart kept leaning toward Milwaukee. I started my paperwork and signed up for classes and dorms. By the time move in day approached all the people that I thought were going to be down in Milwaukee were not going to be there anymore. Oh, well, I thought good time to be on my own!
I had a fantastic time in Milwaukee and within about 2 months I had changed my major to Dance! It was then I decided I was going to combine two loves: teaching and dance. That was my favorite time of college were the years I spent there. I had made some great and trustworthy friends and had great experiences. After my freshman year I came home that summer and fell in love(I know, cliche). My sophomore year got harder because I was missing Craig so much and just felt we were supposed to be together. I came home for Thanksgiving and went to church. I don't think I have ever felt a tugging in my heart as much as I did that day, I felt I was too leave Milwaukee and finish my degree up here. I didn't know why...but that is what I knew I was supposed to do!
Well, then I had to go back to school and tell my friends! None, of my friends were christians at the time...a couple believed in God but it didn't go farther than that. As you can imagine when I told them I was moving home for God...yep, your right...didn't go over real well. I had learned so much while I was attending school there: independence, freedom, experiences. My friends were afraid I would forget it all.
I continued to stand on what I knew I had to do...I filled out applications, I auditioned for the dance program and prepared to move myself home. While feeling shuned from my friends.
As it turned out the enemy knew I had made the right decision and I DIDNT get into the dance program...I was actually 2nd on the waiting list. I had auditioned with a girl I grew up dancing with and she got in..but decided not to go! So that moved me up to 1st on the waiting list...and by the time my sophomore year in Milwaukee ended someone else decided not to pursue dance in Stevens Point. I started in the dance program in the fall of 2002 and graduated from UWSP in the spring of 2005 with a BA in Dance.
The summer I moved home a lot of things happened to prove to me I made the right decision: the church I am very involved still opened one month after I moved home, I went on my first missions the summer after, Craig and I got engaged, and the pastor's daughter at the church was a dancer so we started dancing during services. I wouldn't have been able to be involved in any of this had I stayed in Milwaukee!
Lesson: If God opens a door for you...you have two choices: to walk through it and take a risk or avoid it!
Is. 40: 30-31- Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
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