What do you want to be when you grow up? We all get asked that question countless times growing up. From kids, you get all kinds of responses from the typical, “I want to be a doctor” or “I want to be a teacher” to the extraordinary responses like “I want to be a dinosaur!” or “I want to be a princess”. I love hearing these answers from kids perspectives, so innocent and open to every possibility.

As I’ve now entered the world of adulting (that’s a word now right?), I realize that it is not very common for those answers given as children to be realistic. I mean, what 10 year old wants to be an accountant (sorry dad!), podiatrist, or a physics teacher? Not that there is anything wrong with those careers! We need those people in the world, but my point is that we have no clue what our future holds or what we will actually enjoy doing.

I am a registered nurse.

I am a licensed high school health science teacher.

I am a stay at home mom.

I am a photographer.

I have enjoyed parts about each of these jobs, and of course there are the not so glamorous sides of each career. What the Lord has shown me through each new career, is that my job doesn’t define who I am. My job doesn’t determine my joy. My job doesn’t define my success.

As I have started this photography business this year, a year of uncertainty and change for so many, I felt called to study Ecclesiastes. If you’re familiar with the Bible, Ecclesiastes is famous for the passage that states,

“for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

How timely is this passage, for the tumultuous world we are currently living in? This passage, however, is not what God has spoken most deeply to me though. As I continued to read the rest of the book, the Lord gave me such a different perspective on how we should live our lives. After several repetitions of how much of our lives is vanity (worthless or futile) the author states,

“there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward.” (Ecclesiastes 3:22)

This passage has given me so much affirmation in the decisions I have made. Looking back, Nathan and I were a little crazy to move from Tennessee to Texas with no jobs, but God provided jobs for both of us that helped us gain knowledge and skills we still use. I have been called crazy for taking a good-sized pay cut to go from nursing to teaching. My students asked me ALLLLL the time, why I would want to work at the high school when I could be working as a nurse or even furthering my education and making more as a nurse practitioner. The answer was simple. I loved my husband and wanted to spend more time with him and I missed working with students after spending years as a camp counselor. I wanted to be there. I enjoyed getting to know my students and cheering them on as they discovered new interests or hit a home run at their softball game. Now, a lot of people would think it’s crazy for us to try to live on one salary, so that I can stay home, but I love getting to be the one to see my kids grow and change every day!

James is 2 1/2 years old and Amelia is 4 months old in this picture!

They change sooooo fast!!

At times, I have felt selfish for making decisions based on what I though I would enjoy more, when I had good jobs that, at the time, were such a gift from God. I’m now realizing that God was leading me all along with this truth from Ecclesiastes. I have always longed to do work that I enjoy, and work that is meaningful, and I believe that longing is the Holy Spirit guiding me, calling me, wooing me towards our ultimate purpose, which is also described in Ecclesiastes.

“It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks and enjoys all his efforts…God works so that people will be in awe of Him.” - Ecclesiastes 3:13-14

Did you catch that? Ultimately my life, my work, my purpose is NOT ABOUT ME. My life is a way for God to work in a way that people will be in awe of HIM. God is kind, and gives us the gift of enjoying that work. So now, I’m a stay at home mom and owner of a photography business. As I pursue this great work God has given me, I pray that I will not lose sight of the gift of enjoying this work as well as the ultimate goal of being in awe of Him.

Because without God, all this is “futile and a pursuit of the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:26)