Hard to Believe

Retiring at 38?!
http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/103954/Can-You-Afford-Extreme-Early-Retiremen

I'm 23 and still trying to figure out what to do with my life... Three years of seminary will put me at 26... Not bad, a quarter century for education...

I'll admit something, I often question my ability to discern God's will for my life. Am I making the best decision? Should I be moving here? Should I pursue this or that? Should I have pursued that? When?

Since I graduated from college in May '06, I've lived in Atlanta, Raleigh, Pittsburgh and France (and I've acquired one heck of a southern accent, let me tell you!). I've taught in a middle school, a high school and an elementary school (in 12 months!). I've worked as a camp counselor for high risk kids between ages 6 and 17 and I've volunteered with French kids between ages 7 and 22 in a church environment. That provides amble opportunity to question my ability to discern God's will for my life. Mom said something that meant a lot to me about my experiences, "If you had been first placed by TFA in the elementary school rather than the high school, you would still be teaching." If God's will was for me to remain teaching, He wouldn't have placed me in an environment that almost broke my spirit with the daily strain of trying to teach occupational skills to 15-19 year olds who preferred to cuss and yell at me rather than to study since they could barely read and write. I have never debated anything in my life as much as I did my decision to leave. How could I leave these angry kids who resort to drugs, sex and violence because they've been neglected by the system? I think about those kids a few times a week and wish I could have had a bigger influence on their lives. More importantly, may God work in their lives. I pray that I have been following God and will do so more diligently. If I hadn't left the high school, I would have never fallen in love with 5 year old Shemar, 9 year old Silekeon, 5 year old Isaiah and the other little ones I taught in the resource room. If I hadn't left the elementary school, I wouldn't have been able to return to HOPE Camp. If I hadn't gone to France as a volunteer, I wouldn't have been able to return to Grandma's house to keep her company while Gramps is dying in the nursing home. I've got to trust that God has my life in His hands and that He'll continue to lead me. I gave my hopes, dreams and future to Him about four years ago and I'm glad I did.