My "Land of Familiar"

I work for my church full-time as an administrator. My main responsibilities include managing the church finances and payroll, bookkeeping, and administrating human resources for the missionary-sending branch of our church.

The job pays well and the work conditions are fantastic ~ great colleagues, friendly and loving work environment, flexible hours and freedom to be myself in a place that cares for me not just as an employee, but as a person.

Moreover, I am naturally gifted in the area of administration which is demonstrated by some of my personality traits: I like everything to have its place, I prefer to be invited to events in advance rather than a day (or less!) before, I am constantly looking for ways to do things more efficiently... and math was one of my favourite subjects in school so the bookkeeping and finance stuff comes easily.

But (!) I have learnt that just because I am employed in a job that I'm good at with ideal pay and work conditions, doesn't mean that I am living my dream. I might be living someone else's dream, but it's not necessarily the fulfillment of my own.

I originally took this job because the opportunity presented itself at an ideal time ~ I had just completed my University degree and needed a full-time job. I was about to get engaged and wanted to save up as much money as possible to financially prepare myself as best I could going into marriage. It was convenient. It was easy. It was helping me fulfill my goals at that time. I was good at it!

In the past few months, even though I know I have one of the best jobs around, I have found it difficult to get up in the morning to go to work. Some days I just want to stay in bed. I knew that something was wrong. At times the thought would cross my mind that maybe I should pass my job on top someone else and free myself to seek what my heart is really passionate for. But then "reality" would come crashing in to interrupt these thoughts: "But your job is so great!" "But you earn a good income and your family needs that income, you can't give it up!" "But this job is so stable and secure, why would purposely choose to do something that's not?

Friends, it is easy to allow these and many other thoughts to hold us captive in our own Lands of Familiar. Yes, Familiar is comfortable, it's easy, many times it's even really good. But it's not the best. If we choose to stay with the good at the cost of getting the best, then we could instead end up with a life full of regret for never "giving it a go".

If we want to seek our dreams, then we must be willing to step over our fears, out of our comfort zones and pack our bags, prepared to leave our Land of Familiar to go in search of our Promised Land.

Are your bags packed?