Today my granddaughter and first grandchild, turns eighteen. She is a wonderful young lady, and I am so proud of her and all she does for so many people. I know that whatever she decides to do in life, she will do very well. Right now, she is working through what she wants to do and that is ok. I was in my early forties before I knew what I wanted to do in life. Yes, I was a late bloomer and life took some twists and turns for me.
When I think about who I was at eighteen, I didn’t have a clue about what I wanted to do or be. I had so many interests at the time I could have gone in any of a hundred different directions. Maybe that was the problem…I had so many interests. I still do, but fortunately, one finally bubbled to the surface. It makes me wonder about the pressure we put on our high school graduates to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Some do. They know from an early age they want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a car mechanic. They are gifted in those directions, and they never lose the passion they have for the jobs they have desired all their life.
But sometimes, they don’t know. They stumble around trying this or that career field until finally one ignites a fire in them, and they steam full throttle ahead as they accumulate the necessary skills to be successful in their chosen career path. There are also those who have a career choose them. That would be me. I think back over my life and realize that God was calling me into ministry all my life. I can pinpoint times and places where I knew but I had no representation in the pulpit growing up and in fact, was told that women could not be pastors. So, I floundered. A lot. No career path captured my heart. Until one day I realized women could be pastors and then God came knocking on the door to my heart.
To all the eighteen-year-olds out there, who have graduated and don’t know what your next steps will be, I encourage you to explore your options. Get a job, volunteer, learn what job opportunities are out there. Take an aptitude test to see where your interests may be. Take several. Work on just getting your AA degree and try some fun classes in different career fields. Who knows, one may spark your interest.
But here is the thing: it is ok to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life at eighteen. You do not have to have it all figured out. BTW…here is a secret…most adults don’t have it all figured out either. I know I don’t.
So, to my granddaughter: Happy Birthday! I love you bunches! To all the eighteen-year-olds, take your time to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. Make sure you pick something you love and that drives your passion for working in a specific career. Most of all, choose the people you associate with very carefully. Make sure they honestly have your back, genuinely care about you and your happiness, and will speak the truth to you even when you don’t want to hear it. May your life be filled with blessings. And may God be your guiding light.
Peace,
Pastor Beth
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