Next month will mark a year since leaving my jobs at The Church of Winchester and Shenandoah University, and heading off to Dallas, Texas for a grueling 2 months of flight attendant training (basically Safety Barbie Boot Camp) to pursue a life-long dream (20 years is a long time to dream).
I've now been flying for 9 months; quickly approaching my one year anniversary and absolutely loving my job. I love the chaos yet consistency at the same time. I love flying to 5 or 6 different states across the country in less than 2 days. I even like the sore feet that can bring me to my knees because I've been on them for a solid 15 hours. I love getting to share my life and love for the Lord with coworkers, even when I don't anticipate it. (Trust me, it's not that God doesn't give us opportunities to share... it's more that we don't recognize the opportunities when they're right in front of us.) I love meeting thousands of new people from all over the world. I love getting to serve and take them to where ever they are going. I love seeing the faces of the family members and friends that are waiting beyond security as they catch that first glimpse of their loved one and start to swell up with tears of joy and excitement. I LOVE having random trips with my hubby. I love my job. I love my life.
But I am not a six year old girl anymore.
While it's an amazing thing to fulfill your dreams and reach your goals, turns out a funny thing happens as you grow. You change. Imagine that...haha. The older you get, the longer you live, the more your thoughts, ideas, dreams, priorities, and desires change. They especially begin to change when you decide to trust the Lord as pilot of your life. I have truly felt the Lord's blessing over pursuing my dream job, but I recognize something now that I didn't before.
When I was a kid, I dreamed I would become a flight attendant, and live my life, and that was kinda the end of the dream. As I draw closer to my one year anniversary I'm quickly realizing that the dreams and hopes of that 6 year old, are different from the now 26 (ALMOST 27, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR) year old lady. Because now, my hopes and dreams are to be a good Godly wife to my husband (I GOT MARRIED...how crazy is that?), one day raise children with him, and continue the ministry that the Lord placed upon my heart several years ago, and serve the children I love so much to work with.
At the beginning of the whole flight attendant thing, I'll be honest, I never thought I'd get this far. But I knew that if there was any time to do it, it was now. So with the blessings of Ethan, my family and friends, I went through and lived my dream of walking across that stage and having my precious silver pair of wings pinned onto my uniform.
So all this to say?
I love my job. Just as I have loved every job I have had before it. (No joke, I've legitimately loved every job I've every had). It is just that though; a job. While it brings me joy and happiness to fly, nothing brings me as much joy and happiness as just hanging out with my husband on a Saturday morning eating cinnamon rolls and watching movies; or taking a nice long walk on the boardwalk by the bay. Nothing brings me to my knees like when I think about the way the Lord love me. I'm not the person I was when I dreamed of flying around the world as a jetsetter. Honestly, I don't know how long I'll be a flight attendant. Might be another year. Might be another 5 years. But what I know is that...
I'm different.
And that's ok.
It's okay for your dreams to change. It's okay for YOU to change for the better.
Last weekend my sister-in-law was telling me how it's been fun and interesting to watch me change (Carrie and Fil have been married for 4 years, so she's seen a lot of me.. ;-)) through growing, and getting married, and having a husband. And while the stubborn part of me wants to grunt like scrooge and say, 'I haven't changed!'... I know it's true. So SO SOOOOOO true, and I'm incredibly thankful for it.
So here's to an abundant life lived in Christ.
Here's to growing old with my amazing husband.
Here's to realizing that the Lord has changed my dreams.
Here's to enjoying every second I get of this marvelous job and the killer perks.
Here's to the grace the Lord pours over all my stupid mistakes and selfishness.
Here's to His plan for my life.
And finally, here's to being open to the Lord's changing of my plans, and continuing the work He has given me, in whatever capacity it is, where ever it is, how ever it turns out.
Being a believer?
#BESTJOBEVER
Mrs. Pickles ;-)
