When Passion Meets Purpose, Part I
I clearly remember my college guidance counselor (do they even call them that anymore?) telling me, “Janell, if you know what you want to do by the age of 30, you are right on target.” Oh how right he was. At age 30, I had twins (not ever on the radar, even though my aunt had twins) and a burgeoning vision to own a dance studio that trained children how to glorify God with their gift of dance.
I sincerely thought I’d be doing that the rest of my life.
But in Spring 1997, I experienced a real game-changer. During a Step Aerobic class, something exploded in my lower back. After a couple days of excruciating pain in which I could hardly get out of bed, my husband insisted I go to the doctor.
So, I did.
After many tests, my chiropractor discovered and diagnosed the problem: Spondylolisthesis with Pars Defect.
Urged to strongly consider closing the studio or at least giving it over to another “manager,” I found I just couldn’t do that. So, I somehow made it through one more year. Looking back, that was a mistake, but sometimes the dull of hearing have to experience things the hard way.
Flash Forward Seventeen Years
“You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.”
― Tom Hiddleston
When I was huddled on my closet floor, confused and so deeply grieved over losing my physical ability to continuing dancing, I could never have imagined the path that was ahead of me.
All I could see were the faces of the children and youth and families that I was serving.
We had become so intricately entwined.
What I did know, though, was that God was in control and that He had a plan.
Sometimes, that is all we can trust.
Are You Facing a Surprising Change of Plans?
Maybe this short synopsis of a very big change in my life is somehow resonating with you today.
If so, I pray you take courage and find strength in knowing that God has something even better in mind for you. Yes, it might cause you a great deal of pain and disappointment. Consider the intense transformation a caterpillar must undergo to become a butterfly.
Sometimes disappointment becomes HIS appointment.
Rest assured today that God is with you. Go ahead, kick and scream if you have to, he can take it.
But, at the end of the day, find your way to that sacred place of trust.
Stay tuned for Part II and as always, please share your stories of transformation.
Read more about finding where your passion and purpose intersect: