WHY I PURSUED MY “GAP YEAR” EXPERIENCE
I’ve often heard wise people say that when figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life, you have to first prioritize what’s most important in your life, as well as figure out what you want to achieve when it’s all said and done. Of course, in high school, figuring out what I wanted to achieve wasn’t the easiest life question I’d ever been asked. There was so much I wanted to achieve. I wanted to be a writer, an actor, a teacher and a thought leader. I wanted to have a quality education and the best at whatever I did. But in spite of how awesome those things are, I came to the realization that the most important thing in my life, and, therefore my first priority, was as basic as my identity in Christ. Everything else would breathe, and emanate from my basic beliefs and principles. So, after high school, I had options lined up at a few Christian universities – Cedarville, Liberty, Southeastern – but there was something that didn’t sit right about the idea of committing four years to a university or a college. Although I thought an English degree might be the best way to go, I still wasn’t so sure about the idea of “locking into” what I thought would be a career- deciding choice. I didn’t have enough life experiences to make that kind of a decision! It was at that time that I started thinking about taking a year between high school and my four-year degree. I’d heard of a place called the Word of Life Bible Institute and that it was an accredited post-secondary program solely focusing on academic, collegiate-level biblical study, offering one and two- year programs – all with the purpose of laying a faith foundation as well as discipling students as they prepare for the future. My dad actually spent a year there after he graduated, but I never thought it would be right for me. But now, knowing I wasn’t so sure about locking into a career just yet, and since my identity in Christ was so foundational for my life, it only made sense. Instead of just marinating for who knows how long or doing something I wasn’t sure about, I could go to a place where I could develop my relationship with Christ and my understanding of God’s Word. So that’s how my “gap year” was different than most. Sure, I took a year away from the traditional academic path, but it certainly wasn’t a gap in my life experience or a time of aimless wandering and self-discovery. Instead, it was a different sort of experience...one that laid a foundation for the rest of my life.
ACTOR?
NO
NO
TEACHER?
WRITER?
NO
YES
SINCE MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST WAS SO FOUNDATIONAL FOR MY LIFE, IT ONLY MADE SENSE.
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