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A God-directed career
This past year I enjoyed dancing as a trainee at a ballet company in Oregon. Much like an intern, a trainee is given the experience of working with a professional company as a student. I felt like I was able to grow and that I was valued as a dancer, but when it came time to be evaluated for a company position for the following season, the director didn’t make it clear that she had a place for me. This really stung. How could I have gotten this far, on the brink of professionalism, and not make it? What was I going to do if I didn’t get hired? I had worked most of my life toward a career in ballet, and because this particular director had previously expressed interest in me, I hadn’t prepared auditions for any other companies.
I began to panic. After two months of not hearing any confirmation, I began to let doubt and anger get the better of me. I felt that I had been metaphysically supporting my career before the evaluation; therefore, everything was supposed to go smoothly. Clearly, I needed a change in my thought! The trainees were preparing for a performance at the end of the month. I knew that I needed to have a handle on this situation mentally before the performance.
My first step was to be grateful for the opportunity to perform. I was given a solo role in the performance, and I knew it was a blessing to be recognized by the director and to be doing what I love. I wasn’t sure if I would continue dancing the next year, so I simply enjoyed the process of rehearsing and preparing. As I prayed, I realized that it didn’t matter what path my career took because my career doesn’t define me; it’s not a god. My identity is established with the one and only God.
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