Do you think God wants to get your attention? Don't you love how you plan your life out and then beg God for answers as to why your life isn't turning out the way you wanted it to? Well as I'm discovering, sometimes God's plan for your life is so much better. What am I saying - sometimes. Shouldn't that be ALWAYS?
I always had one plan: be an instrumental music teacher. I never wanted to be anything else. So I put all my efforts into chasing that goal. I did auditions at every university in Brisbane. Desperately hoping they would see my passion for music and how that would make me a great teacher. That's what Hutch and Rotar always told me: I'd be a great music teacher. Guess what. I didn't get in. No-one accepted me. Never mind, I told myself, just start on your education side of it and audition next year. So I did. Turns out secondary education can be really challenging. But then I found another degree "Bachelor of Creative Industries" that had music subjects in it. Fantastic! I thought. I'll get a head start so I'll have less subjects to do when the accept me! As you can see, I'm a very optimistic person, I believe its all about perspective. My passions were so strong I believed it was only a matter of time before the university could see that I'm perfect for the music degree. Guess what. They didn't accept me that year either. By this time, my optimism was failing. So I packed up and went home, my dreams shattered at my feet.
How could You let this happen God? You're the One who gave me my gifting of music. I know I'm talented, I see how You use me through my music, how it touches people's hearts and directs them to You. Why are you crumbling my dreams when You're the One who gave them to me?? My prayers went a little something like that. My mother, being the realistic woman that she is, wouldn't let me come home without a plan. So I began my primary education degree at a very regional university, which in my opinion, was so far below the big city uni I'd been to - it reeked of regional, backwards and dodgy. Well I've been at that dodgy uni for 3 years now... only it doesn't seem so dodgy and backwards anymore. At first I struggled a lot. I don't really want to be a primary teacher. Music is still my passion. I'm using it for a little piece of paper that will make my dreams come true. At least, I was.... until the start of last year.
Now its always been my experience that if God wants you to do something, He'll get your attention in several ways. Here are the first of these ways. Every Easter I go to a wonderful Christian music festival formally known as Australian Gospel Music Festival (AGMF) now known as Easterfest. I was at one of the worship mornings (one of my favourite events!) when I felt God speaking to me. He said: Shannon, will you follow me?
I'll admit I was a little confused by the question. I'd made a committment to follow Him many years ago. So I responded: yes Lord, I'll follow you anywhere... as long as You go before me.
It all seemed very confusing and I wasn't sure what it meant, so I didn't really dwell on it.
But now to attention getter number 2. During semester 1 this year, I was doing an assignment on literacy in the early years (P-3) and I came across an article about a man called Kasule who lived in Uganda and was illiterate. Kasule believes that without being able to read and write, he is destined to being lower class and unable to get a good job. He believes that people who are literate look down on people like him and despise them. Kasule's story touched my heart. Here in Australia, we take it for granted that we can read and write. For us, it is a given. Something we don't really think about, we just do it. Children learn it even before they get to school. But in some countries, in some areas, they do not have the opportunities to learn basic reading and writing skills. And then I realised. Having a straight education degree opens more doors than the path I wanted... there are so many teachers here... why don't some of them go overseas and help those who are in much greater need? And from here a... calling maybe? was born. I want to go overseas and teach people how to read and write which may just give them the skills they need to escape poverty.
Then this last Sunday I heard a sermon on missions and saw the huge number of unreached people groups in the world... then during the night service a man from OM (Operation Mobilisation) came and spoke about a very similar thing. So I talked to him afterwards and he has put me in touch with a lady who does exactly what I want to do. Do you think God has my attention now??? I still have 2 more years left on my degree... and who knows what might happen next? Perhaps in a few years I will be in India helping people escape poverty, giving them literacy skills that will enable them to achieve this.
Follow my journey, as I discover where God wants me. Life without God is empty.... but with HIM, you will embark on the most amazing journey of your life.
