Brenda Nail DeLauder Columnist

  The other day, I was catching up with a young man who grew up in our community. He had always wanted to be a veterinarian, but that dream is currently on hold. Often is the case, what is planned or studied for, takes a back seat to real life, sometimes by choice or other times by circumstances. I’ve known people who became quite frustrated when their life didn’t turn out how they planned. Others more readily accept what they cannot change, and figure out what new path to take. In this young man’s case, he has found a field where he is helping both human and animal and loving every minute of it. He still wants to go back for the final part of his training, but for now he feels led to continue the work he is doing.

  There are times when it becomes clear, the prize you have been chasing after your whole life, isn’t either reachable or right for you. I knew someone who was determined to be a famous fashion designer. She worked so hard at trying to reach her goal, but the closer she got to it, the more she realized it wasn’t what she wanted. She loved spending her free time visiting her grandmother in a retirement center and doing volunteer work there. Soon, the volunteer work turned into a full-time career. It was a world away from what she had set out to do, yet I’ve no doubt she made the right choice.

  We have all known people who speak of regrets over never completing their training for a particular thing, or wishing they had not changed their chosen field. Yet when you talk to them, you may also learn they have enjoyed what they have done in their lives. Some will experience a sudden moment of clarity while they are talking, realizing the changes they made turned out for the best.

  Not everyone is going to be famous, rich, or a leader in their field. Some will have great accomplishments in their careers and suddenly find they have hit a wall with nowhere else to go. There will always be dreamers while others will be planners, some are “CEO’s of procrastination,” and some will be racing for the finish line their entire lives.

  Every few years I look back and wonder “if,” but I have learned to try and take in the whole picture. Twenty years ago, I would never have dreamed of all the twists and turns my life’s journey has taken. Some have led me through some briar patches and given me boulders to climb over, but I’m still here and still seeking the path God wants me to tread. I wish it were all simple and easy, yet if life was, I imagine it would be boring. The best part of looking back is the realization of how those rough times made the good moments possible. It’s like finding the rainbow after a fierce storm.

  We have all heard or said phrases such as “door after door kept shutting,” and “I felt I needed to go in a different direction.” When that occurs, it’s time to not only ask God what He would have us do, but give Him time to answer. When doors start shutting there are reasons often beyond our control. Yet at the same time, other doors are being made ready for us. Whether it is a school choice, career, relationship, or any decision needing to be made, take it to God first. The key to open those chosen doors, is seeking guidance from God, continuing our walk with Him, and trusting our Lord to lead the way.

 Brenda Nail DeLauder is a native of Henry County. Her heart remains in her hometown.