Where does Samuel fit?

Find Your Fit by Jane Kise and Kevin Johnson

My son, Samuel, at 11 years old is already talking about college (at this point in time he thinks he wants to go to App State) and what he's going to do when he grows up.  Bless his heart, he's all over the map with ideas.  As one who knew what she wanted to do by the time she was 3 years old, it's difficult for me to watch my son already struggling with such questions. 

Yes, my earliest memories are of playing school in my bathroom.  I would lock myself in the bathroom for hours, teaching my students.  The toilet was my desk.  The bathtub was "time-out" for students who misbehaved.  The toilet paper was their paper they used to write on.  As I grew up, my desire to be a teacher NEVER waivered.  What changed were the specifics:  what I would teach and what grade/age I would teach.  I KNOW I'm where I'm meant to be--I currently teach English at Catawba Valley Community College.

Anyway, in an effort to help Samuel at least narrow the field an little and see what he might be good at, I ordered this book--and its companion Workbook.  (We're going to do the tests in the workbook at church tomorrow night.)  After reading this book, I know it will go a long way in helping Samuel at least realize what his gifts/talents are as well as his personality type, so he can begin to see value in the things he enjoys doing (building with Legos is a favorite past-time right now and has been for several years now). 

I believe that along with helping my son find his way as a man of faith, it's our responsibility as parents to help guide him down the path to finding his life's work that not only fulfills God's plan for him, but also is something that Samuel finds true passion in.

It is true that there is nothing in the world as awesome as doing what you know you were meant to do.  It's my own type of drug.  I get a natural high from teaching.  I've walked into my classroom with a migraine so bad, I'd thrown up just seconds before class began, only to find that the pain disappears during that class hour.  I've driven home after such a class, knowing that I was in no shape to drive--I stopped at least twice to throw up on the side of the road, but as long as I was in the class, I felt like a million bucks.

I want that for Samuel.  I want him to find whatever it is that will give him that same feeling--that same passion.

In closing, one of my favorite movies is SHALL WE DANCE with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez.  One theme of the movie is how Richard Gere's characters learns that he LOVES to dance--he falls in love with it.  He smiles more.  He's different.  His wife even suspects him of having an affair because he's so happy all the time.  He was CONTENT with life prior to learning to dance, but he wasn't HAPPY or PASSIONATE about life.  Once he starts dancing, not only is he happy, he's PASSIONATE and it rubs off on the people around him.  They bask in his pure JOY as he does what he so loves to do.

THAT'S what I strive for.  It's what I want for my beloved Samuel......

Here's hoping that this book and it's tests help Samuel on the path to discovering that great PASSION of his life......