Quarter-Life Crisis

Tweet

There are dishes piled up in the sink, and papers strewn all over my bedroom floor. But the piles are unnoticed as I sit here typing as tears trickle down my cheeks.

What is going on you may ask? Well, it’s simple really. I’m having a quarter-life crisis.

I have been feeling the isolation, questioning and confusion for months. I watch incredible people take earth-shaking risks and find God’s blessing, and people who drop everything to do what they love. They know it’s not easy, but as they follow God’s call, they have found peace, strength and adventure.

And I want it to. My heart longs to hear the Spirit’s soft whisper of guidance and direction, to know that I am following His lead, not leading Him! I desire to live each day trusting that the provision will always be there, that even in the hardest of times, He will always take care of me.

I long, overall, for community. Tonight, my two wonderful friends, sisters and housemates (though one has now struck out on her own), went to a church that strives to create an environment of belonging in the local area. They are the true essence of a community—a safe place that reaches inward for communal strength from their God, then rushes outward to spread that love to everyone they come into contact with. And it is a beautiful sight.

And it makes my heart ache to be a part of such things. To interact with people outside of the church office where I work. To reach teenagers outside of the church building where I serve. To get OUT into the community and love on people who desperately need Jesus’ love shown to them.

So I am on a search to find God’s heart, and to find my place in His plan. To dream with Him and to live out those dreams every day of my life for the rest of my life. It will not be easy. It will not be comfortable. It will most definitely not be safe. But God never told us it would be simple and fun. The Bible doesn’t promise us a happy, secure life. Yes, it says we should be filled with the joy of the Lord, but even that can happen during a trial.

I am determined to move away from stagnation and get out of the rut. Who’s with me?

Quitting Life and Other Lessons from DreamLand

Tweet

Recently, I discovered I am not a 9-5 girl. In other words, I am not an office girl. A one-job girl. A sit here all day part-time or full-time girl.

I have too much energy. Too many dreams. I want to change the world, love teenagers, start programs, and write books at the beach. I want to take photographs, organize people's closets and speak to befuddled parents and youth workers. I want to shine light into the darkness and bring unspoken issues that are full of shame into the spotlight.

And besides, the 9-5 routine makes me feel stuck. I am a forward moving girl. I hate standing around. While I enjoy the stability of routine, I hate stagnation. I want freedom, new experiences, and the liberty to find my destiny--every day of the week!

I do NOT want to sit at a desk for the rest of my life. I don't even want to do it now! If you know me, don't get me wrong--I love my job. I just don't love my job. I enjoy working in ministry and I like the behind the scenes typing and organizing. I'm good at it. But I believe God created me for bigger things.

I came to this conclusion after realizing that I live for the weekends. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are my only days when I do not have the same work routines and I dream of seeing my house, cleaning, shopping, going places and hanging out with people. It's adventure time.

The four to five days in between are, well, dreaded and dragged through. Sadly, if I am not enjoying four days out of seven, I'm missing more than half of my life. That's a scary thought folks! I dread going to bed because I dread getting up in the morning. On some occasions, I want to just give up and quit everything.

Part of this comes from my overdoing personality that takes on more than I can adequately handle in a healthy manner. But even when I try to simplify and reduce my commitments, there is little satisfaction. Last week I found the blog of a 23 year old lady who quit her 9-5 job to live her dreams as a freelance photographer/graphic designer/blog designer, and let me tell you, I so wish I could be her! The funny thing is, I think God is using all these influences to shape me--to prepare me for a life so totally opposite 9-5. It might start sooner than I think. It might take longer than I think. I don't know what God's plans are. But I know I am ready for a change. For a radical revolution to the next step in life.

I have been told by adults and mentors that they expect nothing less from me than changing the world. Two other adults have told me that they want to be like me when they grow up. I know on every level that God has huge things in store for me. And that scares me out of my mind. But I also know that God's adventures, while radical and crazy and oftentimes, seemingly impossible, are the exact places we need to be, and I'll take that any day.

Today, I wish I could quit everything and live my dreams. And guess what? There's no telling when that will happen!