Hello Hawaii

God has a funny way of pointing me in the right direction. Most times I feel like I’m going down the right path; then things flip completely upside down, and I’m left feeling lost and confused. It’s the days when I’m lost and confused that remind me I’m exactly where God wants me to be. I’m a planner and no matter how much I plan and prepare God always has something much different and much sweeter planned for me. So leave it to God to present me with one of the greatest opportunities I’ll receive in life when I least expect it.

I remember I was taking a nap on the living room couch- as I usually do on Friday afternoons- when Pastor Joy called me. I contemplated ignoring the call and resuming my afternoon nap, but I answered the phone anyways. She called me to let me know that Windward Nazarene Academy was looking for a preschool teacher to work during summer school. I was so, so excited until I realized that it meant I would have to sacrifice my summer internship… I’ve done the internship twice already and am more than comfortable doing children’s ministry with Pastor Joy, but it’s something I’ve grown to love and enjoy doing. At the same time, I’ve spent four years in college studying to receive a degree in Child Development in the hopes that it would equip me for my dream job- being a preschool teacher. I was caught in between two really great opportunities.

So I did what I usually do… I called my mom and ignored her advice, then I called my dad and ignored his advice too. Then I told my sister, talked to all my friends, and let out a giant sigh. So I prayed, and I prayed. Everyone told me to take the summer job, and every time a little piece of my heart broke. I had grown so fond of being the children’s ministry intern and doing all that the job entails that I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.  So I called WNA to ask more about some of the summer job details, and that’s when I was offered a full-time school year position.

All year I had been praying to God to give me the peace and comfort to know that everything will be ok… That life after graduating college wouldn’t be so bad and finding a full-time job in the career field I was passionate about wouldn’t be so hard. I asked God to point me in the right direction and open the doors so that I could get there. Now here I was conflicted between two extremely wonderful opportunities, and God opened the door to something even better. Who does that?

I get the best of both worlds, and I get to do it in Hawaii. On Tuesday May 24th I’ll be boarding a one-way flight to Hawaii. I’ve boarded many flights before but never any where I had the intention of moving my life for. For weeks I had put off buying my flight because I could not wrap my head around the idea of moving across the Pacific Ocean and starting life in a new state. What was once a figment of my imagination is now a tangible reality.

This next season of my life is going to be one full of love and service and maybe even a little more confusion. There might be some loneliness and extreme nostalgia, but there is also going to be adventure and trust. I’ve loved getting to use the phrase ‘season of life’ because it’s an accurate description of life’s transitions. For a season I was a college student, and I loved every minute of it. God molded me in incredible and vast ways. During that time I learned how to grow independently and spiritually, and now I can proudly say that college has equipped me for what’s next. My next season of life is going to be in a new state and it’s going to be an ocean and two time zones away from my best friend, but it’s also going to be a time where I get to serve God in a new way. I just need to keep reminding myself that God will always have the best planned.

One thought on “Hello Hawaii

  1. I’m so excited for you. They are lucky to have you! Thank you for spending your 4 years of college with me getting ready for what God is calling you to do.
    Sdfc kids and I will miss you so much

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