Did you choose your career or did your career choose you? Did you fall into something you love or did you pursue a love? Or do you even remotely like what you do?
It can be a hard balance, enjoying your work and yet not letting it define you. I knew even before I finished high school that I wanted to be in a helping profession. At first I thought I’d be a psychologist. But towards the end of my college years, I realized that psychology meant a lot of research work, something I did not enjoy at all. I did end up with a B.A. in psych, but then found out that a Masters in Social Work would lead to me what I really wanted to do which was still to help people. God showed me early on that I was intended for this work.
I have been so blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom, another thing I chose to do on purpose. As soon as I became pregnant with my first born, I let my supervisor know that I would not be coming back once he was born. And my boys remained by sole focus for over 5 years. Then in the fall of 2006, I felt a tug to re-include social work into my realm of focus. Once again, I felt God leading me, this time to a particular agency that I was familiar with and, with hardly an interview, I was hired. So for a year and a half now, I have been a group facilitator for parenting classes twice a week at this non-profit agency called Parent’s Assistance Center (Ryan is working on creating a website for them so I will point you to it once it is completed). But I still feel there is more for me there in the near future, though the details are yet to be known. I don’t think I can avoid it; something (or Someone) pulls me to do what I do.
Other areas of my life are not this clear. I struggle and debate with God and myself about many other things but this, this giving of hope to others, is crystal. Because it is an area that is so well-defined for me, I also sense the need to move cautiously so as to not put all of my energy and focus into this one area of my life. I don’t want to avoid the things that are not so clear. I don’t want the title of “Social Worker” to become my main source of identity. My relationship with Jesus and with my family are my first priorities – always. But how to live that out is the question, isn’t.
How do we balance the many areas of life that require our focus? How do you do it?
Kind of interesting - I wrote this post about 3 weeks ago - but my friend Jimmy has a similar post today on his blog. Go check out his thoughts.
So very important to realize that what we do is not who we are. I used to be what I did. Gee, was I ever lots of fun. Tunnel vision means we don’t see anything along the sidelines. So glad God growed me up. Lovely insight - thanks for a little reminder.
I love open doors–the job you got after being a full time mommy.
ha, that is what I need right now: focus. how do people do it??
psst remember that I can help out with design if you want it!