My first draft of this post was a twisting and turning account of the past 5 years of my life and how it ended up here. I've now erased that and will try to do it again, less as a summary and more as a reflection.
Five years ago, I was moving on to the next step of my career, away from home, away from friends, and perhaps most importantly, away from a church I was very active in, and a youth group, which volunteering in brought me great happiness. While chaperoning a youth conference with that organization I attended a lecture on vocations and left needing to do something different with my life; not believing any one path to be my 'calling', but certain that I was not going to find it building power plants in rural communities.
The next day I began my Peace Corps application.
I am often skeptical of those claiming divine intercession; I think the word miracle is overused and that billions of scenarios yield millions of improbable and fantastic 'one in one-thousand results' every single day. But I also believe God has a purpose for our life, that out of chaos he provides a strange and perfect order, and somehow ensures the people and places we need to experience are woven into our existence.
I am so blessed for all the experiences and circumstances in my life that put me in Greenville in early 2012, for having met Amanda, and having been ready for her to become part of my life.
This blog is titled 'Ryan's Next Steps' alluding my continuing journey of discernment and discovery. In some ways that journey ended New Years 2013, with the past 16 months being the epilogue.
...But that journey, and these past two blogs are just one character's back story, spanning 5 critical years; not years that made me who I was, but years that allowed me to discover who I was and what I wanted.
Now the main story begins, we hope you all can experience it with us over the next 50 years...
Launching today... Living the Lucky Life
Five years ago, I was moving on to the next step of my career, away from home, away from friends, and perhaps most importantly, away from a church I was very active in, and a youth group, which volunteering in brought me great happiness. While chaperoning a youth conference with that organization I attended a lecture on vocations and left needing to do something different with my life; not believing any one path to be my 'calling', but certain that I was not going to find it building power plants in rural communities.
The next day I began my Peace Corps application.
I am often skeptical of those claiming divine intercession; I think the word miracle is overused and that billions of scenarios yield millions of improbable and fantastic 'one in one-thousand results' every single day. But I also believe God has a purpose for our life, that out of chaos he provides a strange and perfect order, and somehow ensures the people and places we need to experience are woven into our existence.
I am so blessed for all the experiences and circumstances in my life that put me in Greenville in early 2012, for having met Amanda, and having been ready for her to become part of my life.
This blog is titled 'Ryan's Next Steps' alluding my continuing journey of discernment and discovery. In some ways that journey ended New Years 2013, with the past 16 months being the epilogue.
...But that journey, and these past two blogs are just one character's back story, spanning 5 critical years; not years that made me who I was, but years that allowed me to discover who I was and what I wanted.
Now the main story begins, we hope you all can experience it with us over the next 50 years...
Launching today... Living the Lucky Life
