I left the house and thought out loud, “I should change my pants. Meh!” I was just cycling for a hour and assumed it would be fine, since I already had five additional layers to tackle the crisp cold Alberta air.
Lesson one: always listen to your intuition. I
should have changed my pants.
On route, I couldn’t help but think of
the quote by Frederick Buechner and the last ten years of my life. At seventeen, I recall reading his words and
vomiting in my mouth with disgust. It
seemed impossible to find that exact
place, since he outlined, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep
gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” I’ll confess I’ve been looking for
that place for a while, countless years actually, and I’ve taken a variety of
detours, endured major and minor hiccups, and wrestled through countless “ops
that happened” type moments.
Lesson two: find it. I don’t care how long it takes
you to get there… Find it!
And then it donned on me…I’ve found it!
Lesson three:
an excited cyclist may result in potential
injury.
The excitement overtook my spirit and in
the quest to conquer the ragging hill ahead, I somehow managed to tangle my
yoga pants in my bike chain. For anyone watching, I can ensure you it was a
gracious fall, yet never the less I crumbled to the ground.
I found it! Ironically, I awkwardly fell at
the same point and miserably tangled myself in my bike chain. But… then I got
back up.
Lesson four:
get back up.
I don’t care how close you’ve come to
finding it, you will fall periodically, yet don’t forget to get back up and
fight for that passion. I can acknowledge that I’ve fallen and I’ve literally
hit roadblocks that seem impenetrable and far from possible. If it helps, I’ll
list a few that outline possible moments of sheer failure. For example, I became a
nurse and the day I graduated I said, “This is only temporary.” I returned to Alberta to restore a broken
relationship with my ex-fiancé and it lead to two years of utter silence. I had
a seizure and then a few more; consequently, for eight months I was on seizure precautions.
Later, I hit a moose, a miracle to be alive, and three weeks later I broke my
ankle. Though I always believed there had to be purpose, something more and an
even grander reason, in why I was created.
Lesson five:
You were created for purpose.
For myself, I can honestly say that I
desire to live a life set apart and speak life into the very lives of central
Alberta, the nation, and the world. I
hope to lead and inspire others to understand their purpose and their specific call
upon their life. Frederick Buechner was right, since he advised, “Listen to your
life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it,
no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to
the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are
key moments, and life itself is grace.”
Lesson six: life is about moments.
Today, I am thankful for the moment to pursue my Masters in Arts
in Leadership and Management. I am
beyond blessed to have found a piece of my passion!
If your reading this today, I encourage you to listen to the song that I've linked below. May you FIND it and NEVER give up on your PASSION!
Charlene
