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looking for some advice
I am entering my third year of college in less than a month. I am majoring in electrical engineering and criminal justice and minoring in math, physics, and sociology. Here's the deal, I became a resident firefighter at the dept in my college town mostly to serve my community and because I was bored with just doing school work. I absolutely love being a ff/emt and the resident program is set up for college students so it is working perfectly. I am completely content with my life currently, God has blessed me with a very supportive family and a few really close friends. When I moved into the fire dept my close family simply expanded. I have always prayed about decisions I have to make in my life, and doors have opened wide or shut firmly which made it easy to see God's plan for that step of my life. In addition, I have always been found a peace about my decision after praying (sometimes it was years of praying). I haven't reached that point with this decision, and I must make up my mind soon.
As you can probably tell from my majors, I never really intended to be a ff, it kind of just happened. However, I have fallen in love with the professsion. God has blessed me with (as one of my friends puts it) "two and a half brains", which means I love learning but am rarely challenged by it. I've learned a lot since joining the fire dept, it's been challenging phyiscally (which I love), but not too hard intelluctually. My orginally career plan when entering college was to work for the federal govt in national security. After joining the fire dept, another door of opportunity opened. It involves taking a couple years longer to finish my degree and includes national security with the govt. My dilemma, that I've been praying about for a few months now, is whether or not to give up firefighting and the guys at the station that have become my family to persue this opportunity that few people get and few people have the talent to do. When I weigh the pros and cons of both they come out even everytime. Sometime in the next few months I will have to make a final decision to either give up my once in a lifetime opportunity with the govt or give up firefighting and the guys I consider my brothers.
I'm stuck between a rocka nd a hard place, except they are both wonderful options. God has truely blessed me, I just can't have both. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Any prayers would be wonderful. Pray that I will hear God's direction for my life and follow it.
As you can probably tell from my majors, I never really intended to be a ff, it kind of just happened. However, I have fallen in love with the professsion. God has blessed me with (as one of my friends puts it) "two and a half brains", which means I love learning but am rarely challenged by it. I've learned a lot since joining the fire dept, it's been challenging phyiscally (which I love), but not too hard intelluctually. My orginally career plan when entering college was to work for the federal govt in national security. After joining the fire dept, another door of opportunity opened. It involves taking a couple years longer to finish my degree and includes national security with the govt. My dilemma, that I've been praying about for a few months now, is whether or not to give up firefighting and the guys at the station that have become my family to persue this opportunity that few people get and few people have the talent to do. When I weigh the pros and cons of both they come out even everytime. Sometime in the next few months I will have to make a final decision to either give up my once in a lifetime opportunity with the govt or give up firefighting and the guys I consider my brothers.
I'm stuck between a rocka nd a hard place, except they are both wonderful options. God has truely blessed me, I just can't have both. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Any prayers would be wonderful. Pray that I will hear God's direction for my life and follow it.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark A. Duell on
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I'll be praying for ya. The first thought that came to my mind was that you can trust your brothers and sisters in the fire service a whole lot better than you can trust your government right now! Just remember everything is done in his timing. Also seek His will, not yours, not your desires, but His will. If there is any doubt in any area, that's usually an indicator that area should be avoided. Take this for what it is worth. Sure wish I had this problem. LOL.
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Permalink Reply by Capt./Chaplain Mike Petrosky on
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Keri-I think that you just need to pray hard and listen for God to talk to your heart and be receptive to what He has in store for you. Be ready and willing to do what He has as His will for your life and you will not be disappointed. Have Faith and keep praying. Mike.
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Permalink Reply by Keri on
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Thanks for the encouragement. Prayer is my line of communication with my Savior, it's just really hard to hear Him right now.
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Permalink Reply by Old Fireguy on
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Keri, Both Mark and Mike have been the correct answer. I know that when I am stressed and under pressure, my mind is moving so quickly and so full of noise that hearing is difficult. The secret for me is to quiet my soul, take the problem to the Lord and leave it there. He will make his will known to you in His time, keep the faith.
For me the difficult part is in quieting my soul. Sometimes I can acomplish this in a few hours, sometimes it takes days. It all stems from remembering that, right this minute, I am where He intends me to be. Despite my pronounced Type A personality, I am NOT in control, He is. My soul quiets when I surrender to His will.
I pray that you are able to find His answer. -
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I am going camping up in the woods this weekend. Hopefuly by being away from work and the fire station, my mind will slow down enough that I can still my soul and hear my Savior. Thanks for the reminder that I am currently where He intends me to be and He always knew I would reach this fork in the road. If I slow down enough to let Him be the driver I will always be going in the right direction.
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Permalink Reply by Cassie on
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It seems we are almost in the same place in life, though my decision is not quite so absolute (no job offers yet).
I am a physics major, math minor in my senior year of college. I started college fully intent on being an incredibly nerdy scientist working at a research center or university on quantum or astrophysics. Then I found firefighting, pretty much by accident. Wasn't in the life plan, surprised me and just about everyone I knew, that it was something I liked.
But after this year, I need to decided whether to pursue grad school in physics and leave firefighting to volunteering on the side (but not a priority) or switch my focus and pursue a career in firefighting (perhaps getting a fire-related degree).
I have no idea how to balance these two passions, physics and fire. I'm not sure if I would be happy doing just one or the other, but how do I do both? What am I being called to do? So, pray for me as well. I'll pray for you! Let me know how this unfolds for you. I'd love any advice or answers you come to that might help me out as well. -
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Wow, it really does seem like we are in the same situation. At first I was deciding between engineering and criminal justice, I solved it by majoring in both and hoping I can find a job that uses a balance of both (most jobs that might use both lean heavily one way or another). But now I am passionate about firefighting too.
Some people I greatly respect in my life have suggested that I do the thing that less people have the gifts to do well. I have the ability to easily do lots of math and physics (engineering) so those people think I should serve my country using my talents in national security. (I was going to go into the Air Force, but that's a long story) They believe that since firefighting doesn't involve that same intellectual level that I need to use my gifts where others can't. They have a real respect for firefighters, but don't see it as the same level as engineering. Engineering challenges me somewhat intellectually and firefighting challenges me somewhat physically, I would like both.
Also, one of my fellow firefighters had some amazing opportunities when he was college age that he turned down and instead decided to become a career firefighter. I put a little more weight into his advice because he was in a similar situation, however, he does not take God into account. He recommends taking the govt offer, because he always wonders how different his life would be, what kind of accomplishments he could have made. And some other guy could have had a firefighting career.
Today, my govt job offer progressed more and I will probably have to make my final decision in a matter of weeks now. I really wish I knew what I am being called do to. I am going to have to trust Him to show me what direction to go at this fork in the road of life.
My current advice would be pray a lot. Talk to those you respect. Listen to your elders, spiritual and otherwise. Ask others to pray for you. And find time to just be quiet and listen, don't let your mind wander, just listen for the Lord tugging at your heart.
I'll be praying for you, keep the faith. -
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Permalink Reply by David "slick" Rivers on
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always trust in him...he will never steer you wrong
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I spent a lot of time in prayer this last weekend up in the mountains. The govt is finalizing its offer, and I am to the point that I feel God has put this in my path, not to guide me away from firefighting, but to remind me of my passion to serve in national security. I will be accepting their offer and leaving my current position in the fire dept in June, I will move into a volunteer position with the fire dept. Hopefully I can be a real active volunteer and therefore kinda get the best (or at least parts of the best) of both worlds. Thanks for all you prayers. Keep praying that I will hear the voice of my Savior, and Cassie I will be praying that you too will be able to listen and truely hear what the Lord has in store for you.
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Permalink Reply by Kent Calhoun on
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this is kinda a late reply (LOL) but i have learned the hard way, that when God opens a door your life we go a lot better when you walk thriugh it!!
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