Pursuing My Calling, Part 2

After several years of what felt like floundering around trying to find any sense of direction, a friend told me what he was planning on doing.  He was planning on starting an entrepreneurship school.  He was going to teach people how to start and run their own businesses.  Something clicked deep in my soul when he told me about this new endeavor.

My heart and mind said, “That’s it!”  That’s the answer to Tony’s question!  What if there’s no pond?  Well, you teach locals how to dig.  You teach them how to start their own business.  This past summer I went over to Myanmar to learn about the school and help out where I could.

To put it succinctly, I fell in love with the school.  The expats I worked with were genuine people who simply wanted to help.  My friend proved to be a great leader and one I could get behind.  I came alive when I taught business classes to Burmese youth in the area of marketing and management.

Now, almost a year later, I’m going back for a 6 month apprenticeship.  Within the next 5 years, I want to start my own entrepreneurship school either in Haiti or Cuba.  I’m not sure how this is going to happen but I believe a good first step is to do an apprenticeship under my friend.  Simply put, I couldn’t be more excited!

Simultaneously, my little heart has been crushed over the past week with saying goodbyes.  My parents sold our house in 2 days so it came more suddenly than I had expected.  The closing date was set for roughly a month later.  I came home to Illinois for a few weeks and had to leave everyone else behind.

It’s supposed to be the easier side of things, when you’re the one leaving and have something to look forward to.  This wasn’t the case in my most recent experience.  I had lived in Sarasota for just over 9 years.  When you live somewhere for 9 years you tend to put down roots.

The past five years have been especially rewarding when it came to church.  My best friend and now pastor planted a new church.  It has been a wild ride but I’ve loved it all for the most part.

Saying goodbyes to the people whom I loved proved particularly difficult.  As I was reflecting with a young couple whom I adore I said that the Creek had become like family to me.  My friend wisely remarked, “Well, it was church.”  It was church as it was meant to be, people living in community and caring for one another.

I loved the Creek and always will.  It is time for me to move on.  So, after many tear-filled goodbyes, I find myself in a car going up to Chicago out of Springfield to help my brother move into his own apartment in the city.  In a few weeks I head to Prague to visit my girlfriend who lives in Liberia.

I will miss Sarasota and all my friends dearly.  If I wasn’t called to go somewhere new I wouldn’t go.  In many ways I was quite comfortable.  I was miserable at my job but there are certain creature comforts you grow accustomed to if you’re not careful.  The open road calls me though.  God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit call me.  What can I do but answer that call?  After years of wrestling with God over whether to go or not, I’ve finally surrendered.  It turns out you don’t get very fall when you try and wrestle with the One who created the universe.