a vocation re-discovered

Wed nite, we had a catechist workshop while our CCD kids had a guest speaker at church. I think they do this periodically in order to keep the "fire of the Holy Spirit" burning alive and well within the catechists. This catechist definitely had his fire stoked. The workshop was on the "vocation" of the catechist. In other words, we talked and shared about what makes us want to be catechists, how were we "called" to serve as teachers, what is the mission of the catechist, why do we do what what do, and how to we do what we do. It was awesome! I left there feeling/knowing that I am doing part of what I am suppsoed to be doing with my life. Through the sharing and prayer, and the vocational evening prayer service in church that followed, I was given further guidance and inspiration to follow my heart and my call to get back into teaching full time.

I had been praying and sharing about this with various people over the past few months. Over the retreat weekend, I had pretty much made up my mind that I am going to get back into teaching for sure and actually had begun making calls to find out what I need to do in order to get re licensed in Ohio to teach public school. But Wednesday evening was the spiritual "confirmation/urging" I really needed/was looking for in order to fully surrender to my life's mission.

I had drank and drugged up my original music/teaching career, and had experienced a good deal of guilt over the final years of my drinking/drugging and even well into sobriety. I has only been over the past 3 years that I have even begun to play my horn again in public, on a consistent basis. I had buried all this music/teaching vocation deep under guilt and fear. Well, the right thing has a way of working itself to the surface and it's here now. It is time to follow my calling, follow my heart and my HP's mission for me. It is time to let go of the guilt and shame for trashing such a bright career in such a noble profession and just go do what I am meant to do.

It feels like a giant weight has been lifted, now that I have come to the decision to return to my life's mission. Work at the bank has certainly not gotten any more fun or less miserable. But at least now I know this is temporary. I am going to take whatever college/graduate classes are necessary for me to become re-licensed for public school. However, I have a line on a music teacher/band director job at a great local Catholic High School. If I could secure that position, I wouldnt need to take all the classes as I would not be required to be licensed to teach in a private Catholic School. So, I would have the luxury of time in order to get the 9-12 hrs of coursework done. Fortunately, over the past 10 yrs, HP has placed me in a position to have good solid network of friends and business contacts surrounding the right people at that Catholic School in order to get me a shot at the position. Funny how all that happens withhout my awareness or understanding. Some people call it coincidence. I call it a plan. (It just didn't happen to be my plan lol).