Article January 28, 2008 Issue

COURAGE _TO CHANGE COURSE

BY DREW HARBUR

Typical "recipes for success," I've found, may not include the proper ingredients for spiritual success. Society often says that ambition, education at prestigious schools, and meeting lots of goals ensure fulfillment. And these expectations can sometimes feel stifling, especially if our plans don't follow a prescribed pattern. But I'm learning that nothing compares to listening for what God has to say, and then letting the course of our life conform to His plan.

Last spring, with college graduation still months away, I thought I'd shored up my future, and was prepared to fully enjoy school without the typical senior year anxieties. First, I'd already secured a job with a well-known economic consulting firm I'd interned with in Atlanta. Second, I'd planned to rent an apartment with one of my closest friends, and we'd even determined in what building to live in the following year. I almost felt guilty being so relaxed about the future, because my friends were scrambling to find jobs and get into graduate schools. To say that the students at my school were driven would be an understatement. I'd met people at parties who'd graduated and gone on to do some pretty impressive things. They were cultured, smart, and making good money. And so, I thought, shouldn't my path mirror theirs in some way?

From society's standpoint, the plans I'd lined up pointed to success. But that's when the thoughts started: "Am I really excited by these plans? Will I progress spiritually and intellectually in the environment I've chosen?" At first, I assumed these questions were the typical doubts people sometimes get when faced with important decisions. So I ignored them until the last month of school.

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