Wandering, but Not Lost
This summer I had the honor and privilege of attending the Volunteers in Transition program, put on by the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame every year. The Volunteers in Transition program is designed for young adults like me who have finished a year of service and would like to start thinking about what is next for them, both personally and professionally.
During the week, we had sessions on topics in career development, like resume writing, interview techniques, and recognizing transferrable skills. We also had sessions focusing on processing our service year. We thought about what happened, whom we met, what we did, and how all those experiences have brought us to where we are right now.
There were many sessions that I liked. In one particular session, we were invited to take Legos and put together something that symbolized either:
- Who you are?
- Where you are?
- How you are?
I sat with the bucket of Legos in front of me waiting for inspiration to hit, while the people around me got straight to work. I picked up a couple of pieces, thinking that if I just started putting together random pieces, an answer to one of the questions would come to me. I kept on searching and came across two Lego people. One was dressed in a ninja suit; the other was dressed in a white suit. A few minutes later I found a Lego boat. I put one Lego person on each side of the boat. One was represented my love and passion for elementary education, and the other represented my love and passion for serving the church.
I chose the boat because I felt like I am wandering right now. Last year I served in Hiram, Ohio, and now I’m moving to St. Louis to do a second year with NBA XPLOR. It is okay to be wandering right now. I could see myself living in a lot of places after my time in St. Louis is done. I don’t know where God will be calling me next.
When I saw my finished product, I was reminded of the quote by J. R. R. Tolkien: “Not all those who wander are lost.”
I may be wandering, but I am not lost.
Kim Guy is a 2015-16 NBA XPLOR Resident in St. Louis, MO, a partnership with Union Avenue Christian Church. She serves at Neighborhood Houses.
NBA XPLOR is a 10-month service residency opportunity for young adults ages 21-30, with the purpose of empowering young adults to discern and develop a “heart for care” as they live together in simple community, engage in direct service and justice work, engage in leadership development, and discern their vocational calls to honor the various communities they are called to serve. Meet the 2015-16 NBA XPLOR Residents and learn more about the program here.
NBA XPLOR was invited to participate in the Volunteers in Transition program as a recipient of a Volunteers Exploring Vocation Capacity Building Grant from the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE).
