9 Days Left - Lessons I've Learned as an Expat

Michigan

Follow Your Passions

I'm a strong believer that God created each one of us in a unique fashion.  No two people are the same.  God gave each of us unique talents, ideas and passions.  Absolutely no one else can do the job that God designed you to do.

It's not easy.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out what we're good at.  If I know what I'm good at, it can be hard figuring out how to use that talent.  After I figure out those two things, the path to pursing the passion that God put inside of me is hard.  It's often like fighting an uphill battle.  At least that's been my experience.

Being an expat is not the answer to these things for me, rather just a step in a direction.  When we took that step I thought something would happen.  It didn't.  It took me two years to figure out that what I thought my purpose was, wasn't at all.  In fact, I was so bad at what I thought I was supposed to do, that I had to take some time to let go of that dream and change my thinking.

But during that time and the post after that, I kept following my passions.  I constantly made steps in a direction.    During those times, when the pieces fell into place, I knew I was doing exactly what God created me for and for me, in that moment.

I don't think God's plan is static.  That suddenly everything falls in place and we are there--forever.  Rather, I think God's plan changes.  It morphs and moves to meet the needs of today.  Sometimes the "job title" stays the same, but what it looks like changes.  Sort of like being a mom.  Being a mom when my children were infants is a lot different than being a mom to college students.  Then sometimes the picture changes completely.  Being an interior designer and working in security are not the same at all.    Outside of being an employee, the jobs had nothing in common.

Now we are at a new post and things haven't fallen into place in the same pattern they did at the past two posts.  So I find myself in this place where I'm looking at my passions, looking at the needs around me and praying a lot.

I haven't learned how to magically make life work smoothly and seamlessly, but I have learned that if I give up and don't keep pursuing, then God has nothing to work with.

What about you?  Have you given up or are you pushing through the difficult times to use your passions for God?