Finding the Right Path

I don't think I have ever been set on a career path until this week. At the age of 23, a year and a half after completing my undergraduate degree, I have finally figured out what to do with my life. The more I talk to the students I work with, the more I realize this is not an uncommon thing. At least half of my staff members regularly change their minds about what they want to do after graduation and another half constantly worry about whether they are on the right path.

Collection of Prayers Book

This week I discovered that the real reason I could never figure out what path I was meant to be on was because I had never spoken to God about it. I never prayed about what to do after college or what career I am meant to have, which is why I was always in a state of confusion. On top of that confusion, my past couple of weeks at work have been incredibly stressful - so much so that I spent about an hour crying and praying in the IC Chapel last Friday.

At the front of the IC, near one of the confessionals, there is a tub of prayer books that my school put together. I was at a loss for words so stumbling upon that bucket of books was quite helpful. I skimmed through the pages until I found a prayer that was related to what I was concerned about: Prayer to Know One's Vocation In Life by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The prayer asks for the intercession of the Holy Spirit to guide you to your vocation as well as to give you the strength to do it. I prayed this over and over on Friday night, and again on Monday, and Wednesday while in the midst of assisting students that had been through difficult experiences.

About an hour or two into working on this situation, I had an epiphany where I realized that I was actually on the right career path and that I just needed to keep moving forward. It hit me that I truly love helping people and staying on this path was the best way for me to do that. This realization was so energizing because I finally recognized how much I love what I do and I would not have gotten to this point without that breakdown and repeated prayer.

Me and my Cafe Creme Brute

On Saturday I finally had time to go back to Holy Grounds Cafe and I intended to work on homework...I wrote all of a page (out of ten) before I got distracted looking at books about my career field. I want to know everything there is to know about Student Affairs and Higher Education so that I can do my very best on the path that God has chosen for me. I want to know as much as possible so I can make Him proud. God knows everyone's true path and when you pray about what God intends for you to do with your time on Earth and wait for Him to reveal that to you, the moment your prayer is answered you feel an intense rush of happiness.

Feeling lost? Don't know what you're called to do in life? Devote some prayer time to that! Ask for guidance and strength and (most difficult for me) patience and your answer will come.

Everyone should live as the Lord has assigned, just as God called each one ~1 Corinthians 7:17

Pax,
Kay