Thoughtful Thursday

A Long and Winding Road

When I was a little girl, any time that an adult held a conversation with me, they would invariably ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I can recall that I once answered, “I don’t know. I’m just a kid.” Then, they wouldn’t let it go. “Well, what would you LIKE to be?” I thought and thought, but the problem was that I couldn’t narrow it down to just one thing. There were so many possibilities! So, I decided to make a list. The next time I was asked, I was prepared. “Well,” I said, “I want to be a cowboy, (cowgirl).” I liked to watch Dale Evans twirl a rope on the Roy Rogers Show. I continued, “I might want to be a songwriter, or an astronaut, or a secretary. Maybe I could be a ballerina, or a singer. I might want to be a soldier. Perhaps I could write a book.” My list was endless. Again, I couldn’t choose just one thing!

Fast forward to my high school years. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do…much less what I wanted to be. Graduation time rolled around. I had no idea what the future held. I still didn’t know where God was going to place me.

After taking a year off, I started my college education without a plan. The first couple of years, I was just taking the basics…English, math, science, and whatever elective that I was interested in at the time. There were still so many possibilities! These first two years, my major was listed as, “Undeclared.” At the end of my sophomore year, I had to declare a major. My interest in writing had grown over the years.  I was already writing poems, short stories,and plays. So, I decided to major in English.

My English professor was a burly old man, that reminded me of Walter Matthau’s character in the movie, “Grumpy Old Men.” He wore the same wrinkled brown suit every day. He smelled like stale cigarettes and body odor. His graying mustache had been treated with the same black dye that he had applied to his greasy hair. He yelled, he threw erasers, and when he wrote on the chalkboard, he would then scratch his behind, and leave white chalky handprints on the back of his trousers. I didn’t care how much that I wanted to be a writer, this was a little much for a shy girl out of the holler!

So, I changed my major to Special Education. I had always had a heart for handicapped and special needs children. I continued to pursue this path, until one day, I was looking through the course catalog for the college, and realized that I could graduate a whole semester early if I changed my major to regular elementary education. Since, I had been working so hard to finish college in three years, going nights, summers, and taking extra courses whenever I could, this idea really appealed to me. So once again, I changed my major. I went from Undetermined, to English, to Special Education, to Elementary Education. That’s a lot of changes in three and a half years. 

Finally, I graduated magma cum laude, in the summer of 1978. Four days later, I had landed a teaching job, and walked into my classroom for the first time. Throughout my career, I taught mostly second or third grade, with short stints in kindergarten, first grade, and one year of teaching Kentucky history to fourth grade.

As I look back, I realize that God placed me exactly where I needed to be! Even when I didn’t know…God did! I believe that every student that I taught, every teacher and coworker that I came in contact with, every experience along the way, carved out the fulfillment of a purpose for my life and my journey. I believe that these people were meant to cross paths with me, and I with them.

This has taught me that in times of uncertainty, we can remain calm. God’s got this. This is part of our journey to mold us and make us into the best that we can be. The key is to have faith in Him, and to keep that faith whatever the circumstances.

Proverbs 16:9, (NKJV), tells us, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” 

Psalm 119:105, (NKJV), says, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” 

Proverbs 3:6, (NKJV), reads, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1, (KJV), reminds us, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

These scriptures encourage us to trust in God, read His word, acknowledge Him, get to know him through prayer, and spend  time with Him.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have the sudden urge to write a song, or study the stars, or type a letter, or work on my novel. I might even find a rope and practice my skills in twirling a lasso. The journey continues…

Have a great Thursday!