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Living Where You’re At {even when you think it stinks]

One week. I have been home from Guatemala for one week. And in that week, I have cried, laughed and cried some more as I have shared my stories, look at pictures, FaceTimed with my Guatemalan friends and just overall [attempted to] adjust to living in the US once more. 
I would love to tell you how I am just so full of joy to be here once again and that all the friends that I missed while I was in Guatemala have been spending the night so we can bond again and I am just on cloud nine. But, that would be a false statement. I have been an awful daughter. An awful sister. Instead of telling those closest to me [who are also those most interested in my stories] about my adventures, I have chosen to basically sit around feeling sorry for myself that I am not still in Guatemala “living my dream”…

On Tuesday of this past week, I had to attend my orientation at the University I’ll be attending in the fall. I can’t tell you how many times I considered faking being sick and telling my family I wasn’t going to go to the orientation. Then, a couple days later, I planned to bring up the idea of bypassing college altogether, packing up and getting the heck back to Guatemala (where I thought I belonged). The fact I have received several seemingly perfect job offers back in Guatemala seemed so enticing and definitely outweighed the idea of spending four, boring years in college. Then, I read one of my favorite blogs, Hope Engaged and her words just convicted in a way that touched my heart so deeply. Her words just jumped out, grabbing my heart and twisting it around. 

“Sometimes, our calling is boring and there’s no confetti.” 
What truth. A hard truth, but so much truth nonetheless. For the past two months, I have been living in the mindset of “I can’t wait to get out of college as soon as possible so I can get right back on a one-way airplane to Guatemala!” And while this thought process is nice and exciting, there is so much danger living in this mindset. Not only was I not open to the things God could be placing in my life, I almost shut Him and His plans out all together simply so I could do what I wanted. 
I am realizing that college is definitely something that at this point in my life, He is guiding me towards. No matter what things or people in Guatemala seem so much more important to me than a college degree, I will follow where He’s leading, because I know He ultimately will work things out for my life so perfectly. 
Now, I just want you to read the article that Katie wrote over at her blog, Hope Engaged. I hope that it encourages, enlightens and convicts you as it did me. 
Much love, 
Olivia

“I’ll admit, the last few days I’ve been viably restless with this season I’m living in right now…mainly, that I’m in grad school. In the last week, a few friends have emailed me some very glamorous job opportunities that literally looked like perfect jobs for Kev and I. One was in Uganda doing really great work with an awesome company, another “required” world travel (as if that isn’t the best thing EVER!) doing inspirational work with water all over the globe. I felt a shade depressed that we couldn’t just pick up and GO. I tried to reason with God, asking him why I wasn’t done with this masters program sooner, because “hello God, this is the perfect job for us, and NOW’S THE TIME!”. {cue the Good Lord and his bemusement!}

Not to mention, the world cup is on now and all I want to do is WATCH SOCCER. And then there’s the beach, and family reunions, and all my taped “House Hunter International” shows that I still need to watch, and I’m like “why am I in school again??, because everything else looks so much more fun!”. And instead, I’m slaving away reading textbooks, discussing in online forums, and punching keys to write papers.  Today I sat sentimental in Kev’s lap, and asked him “what am I doing?”.

He laughed. And I did too.

Because at the bottom of all of this restlessness, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m living into my calling. That I’m fulfilling a dream that God has set deep inside of me. And sometimes our calling requires hard work. Dedication. commitment. And boring days.

I really do believe we were all made for something great. Something full of meaning and purpose that fills our soul with an energy from the one who created LIFE itself. God has given each of us a slice of his Kingdom that we get to bring to earth through our actions and love, kindness and peace.

But sometimes our calling is boring and there’s no confetti.

Sweet Jesus was given the greatest calling of them all, to come to this world and love the heck out of us crazy people, die on a cross to bring us ultimate healing and relationship with God, and then reign. He had the most epic of callings,

and yet,

he labored as an obscure carpenter under his father for years. boring. 
he sat at the temples and learned scriptures hours upon hours. boring
he walked around in a desert for 40 days. boring. 

And yet all these boring things prepared him to live his calling. The calling that saved me, saved you. And while these seemingly insignificant tasks were monotonous, yes, and boring, they were life changing for the world, for my very soul.

If you are in a place that you find incredibly boring or routine, take heart! This might be part of the training grounds for some epic calling God may have on your life. I worked a non-profit job for many years that at times was incredibly routine and monotonous (and I may or may not have speculated that my eye balls were going to fall out of my head if I had to look at the computer screen for one more minute!) the experience I gained was the exact skill I was asked to perform over in Nepal for the aftercare home. And that was not boring, but brilliant. But I needed that training before hand to equip and prepare me for something greater.

And so as I labor to gain my masters degree in marriage and family therapy, and become a counselor, I remember that this is my training grounds for something God is stirring deep within my soul. I know that He has something prepared for me that is life altering, that is useful and productive, and that is kingdom building. But for now, my job is to trust him and work hard. To allow Him to pour into me, so that I may pour out love to others.

lean into your calling with hope, expectancy, and faith,
even when it is boring.

Happy day friends!

“set a fire down in my soul, 
that I can’t contain, 
and I can’t control. 
I need more of you God, 
I need more of you God” 

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