TeenConnect: Trending July 5, 2021 Issue

Searching for direction?

Fenna Corry

Originally appeared online in the teen series Trending - May 18, 2021.

I had what I thought was a good idea. I wanted to work on a Master’s degree, so I started attending classes at a local branch of our state university. Everything about this plan made sense, or so I thought. But after only a few classes, I began to wonder if this might not have been the best idea after all.

Where do you turn when you don’t know what to do? Maybe to a parent or a friend? Someone who knows more than you do? I knew I needed some advice or guidance, so I decided to have a chat with the head of the department where I was studying. I poured out my story and my concerns, wanting him to tell me about my options and my future. He listened thoughtfully, but instead of offering advice, he asked if I knew the hymn “Lead kindly light.”

This was surprising for a couple of reasons. First, I didn’t know that he was religious, and he didn’t know that I was. And second, I wasn’t asking for a hymn; I was asking him for his wisdom.

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