Unlike some of my friends, I didn’t spend my four years of college planning for the job I wanted once I graduated. I was focused on everything but graduating. Looking back, I think it had something to do with not wanting to graduate. Come senior year spring and suddenly I did not know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Every one kept telling me that there were endless opportunities and yet I could not even decide what to pursue. Many tears were cried in the month leading up to graduation and the month after. I cried an entire drive home from Indianapolis to Cincinnati one Wednesday afternoon as I returned from a job interview feeling hopeless and confused, unsure where I was headed. Perhaps it would have served me better to plan better for the future throughout college, including picking a more practical major. I did love my sociology major though, and most importantly, it was an easy enough major that I was able to spend a majority of time doing everything besides schoolwork.

By crazy twists and turns, I ended up in Indianapolis working at a really cool job and living with two awesome roommates four months after graduating from IU. Indianapolis was partially one of the first grown up decisions I made, but it was also an opportunity I just stumbled into. Once God said, “go,” I took a huge step of faith, accepted a job offer, packed up my CR-V and moved. Today, as I drove down Fall Creek Drive and headed into work, the leaves were a pretty fall color and I thought about how thankful I am that I ended up here. In Indianapolis.

When I think about God’s grace and how He reveals it to me, my life in Indianapolis is Exhibit A. I did not do anything to deserve the church, my jobs and the community I have here, and yet God has gifted them to me. All I can do is offer them back at His feet, acknowledging that they are all a gift.

God has shown up again and again in this sweet city I call home. As I’ve learned my way around the North side, ran a half-marathon, experienced Indy 500 weekend, found some favorite restaurants, planned happy hours, tried out a couple churches and found one church home, I continue to praise God for the life I am able to build here because of His grace.

Instead of dwelling and wondering what would have happened if I had picked a different major or walked through open doors instead of redirecting when doors shut, I can be confident of God’s goodness in leading me to Indianapolis – for His glory! His grace does not and will not mislead us.

 

“And he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out to him and find him, though he is not far from each of us.” -Acts 17:26-27