My direction as defined by the Spirit....

I am in the midst of transition. I am about to move away from Auburn which has been my home for the past two years. Part of me fears what is next. Part of me is also glad to move on. I am looking forward to going home for a somewhat expanded amount of time to be around my family. Sometimes I feel like I am always on the go or simply that I am always away. It is almost like I miss my family going place to place or moment to moment. I am not referring to extended family necessarily because some of us have so many extended family members it is naturally understandable why you cannot keep up with nine cousins who live across the country in almost every state. Immediate family is more immediate in keeping tabs on. There really is not much room for excuses for looking over them without taking notice. While I have not written as much as I would like this summer thus far, it has been a good break to just stop and breathe. That is a luxury that not many individuals are able to take. I should be thankful.

I have been applying for jobs all over Alabama and some opportunities abroad and in the Northwest. I feel like God’s Will for my life is simple right now: write! Every time I apply for a job there seems to be a bit of uneasiness not because of change with a new job but rather because I know that is not what God will have for me right now. Now responsible people concerned with paying the bills as any person should be will naturally say, “You can do that while working a full time real world job.” That is all well said and done and considered for that matter. How many people after an eight-ten hour day and a possible hour in the gym come home ready to write ten pages for a book? They are usually ready to watch Seinfeld and then call it quits before saying good night prayers to go to sleep for the next workday.

This may be the last time in my life I get to just write and try something worthwhile of dreams’ imagination. As I celebrate my 28th birthday tomorrow, I realize I am getting old or rather not much younger, but I certainly do not feel it. On the contrary, as I get older I feel that my life gets better. I accomplish and attain one more notch under the belt.

Recently I have been really careful to listen to people’s advice but not to act upon it. Other people are not living your life. While it may be easy for them to tell you what to do, if what they want you to do is not what you want to do, then I would suggest not doing it. Some folks respect my flight to write a book. Others press for me to join the real world work force. If I could just decide what I was going to do at this very moment, I would become an author and start a worthwhile nonprofit organization. Now that dream may change with the next morning approaching, but I really want to help people and change lives more than just giving some spare change to a person sitting on the ground. Through Christ I want to be the reason that change is occurring. God has been transforming my heart to keep pursuing a dream….to keep my eye on Him….not moving wayward in one direction or the other. I am concerned with God’s lead not other people. I am a driven person. I just need to drive myself in the direction God is leading. At least for right now, that is to record my story or stories.

I am moving away from Auburn, but I hope that God gives me the courage and strength to never look back. I do not mean looking back towards Auburn as a geographical location but more metaphorically to look forward, to accomplish, and with courage to pursue what my heart has been telling me to do for a long time: to write, to realize, and to move people in ministry in an area that is often ignored by the church. I pray the Spirit of the Lord moves in ways so that such a path is unavoidable. And all God’s people said: Amen!