Reverb 10: Day 29 - Defining Moment

Today's Reverb 10 Prompt:

December 29 – Defining Moment

Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

(Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

I've struggled with how to answer this question, sitting here, staring at a blank post.  There are a few defining moments from this year that I can share here, but the far more profound ones are ones that are deeply personal, and not yet (and perhaps not ever) for public consumption.  Things that are private decisions I've made, that are dramatically shaping the landscape of my life.

On the very public front, a major defining moment was the sudden loss of my job.  It was never going to be a permanent job.  It was supposed to be my "work to pay bills until I figure out what I want to be when I grow up" job.  Losing it forced my hand on the "what do I want to be when I grow up" front.   It unexpectedly led to sensing God's leading and direction towards a career in nursing, and that has had dramatic impact on my life for the rather obvious reasons associated with a complete change of career.

I'm still staring at the screen, trying to wrap this up.  Wrestling with all of the thoughts around defining moments that the time is not ripe to share.  The personal defining moments have all been about decisions - decisions to value myself, to do things differently, to allow growth to happen in very unexpected ways.  And it's these moments that I really treasure.  It's those personal, internal defining moments that are giving flesh to the public ones like housing changes and job losses and new career directions.  Because it's the private moments that are shaping the character and spirit and emotion and voice that I lend to the public moments.