Dream-Crushing is the road to Passion

     I went down to Michigan Works--the employment agency for our county.  I wanted to get some pointers on how to look for a job and how to write resume's.  The classes were taught by a really great instructor who also happens to be named Karen.  She was animated and personable and had a lot of great ideas for conducting a job search.  I could tell that she loves her job and likes to connect with her clients.
     The thing that I discovered is that doing what you have a passion about is one way to be successful.  I think the goal in job searching is finding the job that is so irresistible for you to do.You can get "a" job but will always struggle till you find what God made you to be.
     At this same time of these job search classes,  I am preparing a message for my fellow high-school and college graduates from church.  I noticed a pattern in some of the greatest Bible characters, Joseph, Moses, and David.  All three of them had a lot of promise in their youth and seemed poised for great success when life events caused them to fail or be cut down in some way.  Unlike people like Joshua, Samuel and Daniel, who just seemed to fall into their roles right from their youth, Joseph, Moses and David had to overcome crushing events that seemed to end their dreams. 
     This dream-crushing made each of these men much more dependent on God.  With Joseph and Moses, we can guess from the narrative and the events after their disappointment that they deepened their walk with God.  David goes a step further.  We can tell more about his relationship with God because he wrote many Psalms to address the issues he was facing.  He learned that God was his protector, guide, and friend far beyond any circumstances he found himself in.
     Tying these ideas together, I can see where dream-crushing (like my little homeschool-mom dream that fades as I look for work) is really a process God can use to reveal deeper passions.  I feel like I am finding more concerns outside my little family as I pursue employment.  Dreams that are small (like Joseph leading his family instead of the nation of Egypt; or David being the general of Saul's army instead of King) must be crushed to develop a deeper passion that is sustainable and far-reaching.  Some dreams MUST die to make room for bigger and better ones.
     I am not sure where my dreams and passions make take me in the coming months, but I want to be willing to let some dreams die, and let other passions be formed in me along the way.