Why I Counsel

If my life had gone exactly how I had planned, right now I would be doing mission work in Central America and using my Music Education degree to share the gospel with and teach music to kids and families living in a trash dump.  So how (and why?!) did I end up here in St. Louis, the very city I’ve lived in my entire life, doing something totally unrelated to my initial degree? I think Proverbs 16:9 sums it up well: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

Ever since seventh grade I felt God calling me to the mission field. I loved the many mission trips I went on in my life, and I had a heart to spread the Gospel and serve others.  I also had an elaborate plan as to how I would do this – I would get a music degree, learn Spanish, and then serve with one of our church ministries in Central America.  The stage was set, my plan was in motion, and things were going great…until I graduated from college.

After graduating from college with a Music Education degree, I was unable to go to Central America due to heightened political unrest and gang violence.  During that time I felt so lost – I knew the basis of what I wanted to do was to help foster positive change in others’ lives, but I had no idea what that would look like now that all my plans had been foiled.  All I knew was the painstaking reality that my college degree and my dream of 10 years were all seemingly a complete waste.  How did I miss God’s call for my life?  Am I completely crazy?  Is there anything out there that I can do that will be fulfilling?  These were just some of the questions I wrestled with on my journey. 

Through waiting on God, much prayer, seeking advice from others, and career counseling, God navigated me through my shattered plan and set me on the course of a much greater one. God’s good and perfect plan for me far surpassed anything I could have conceived because it reached the depths of my heart.  God knew that my true belief was that I could care less if people knew how many beats were in a whole note or the difference between a verse and a chorus.  He knew that my true desire was to serve Him by supporting and encouraging others as they walk through their problems, and to meet them with mercy, love, grace, and above all the Gospel. 

And so here I am.  I’ve been counseling since 2009 and I absolutely love what I do.  Sure, it’s hard…really hard.  But being welcomed into others’ lives, to sit with them as they wrestle with their hardships and celebrate their joys, and to bring them the hope of the Gospel is a true privilege and a gift.  It’s amazing to look back at how God has taken the plans of that seventh grade girl and made steps for her to land somewhere even better than she had imagined.  I think this truly is a testament to God’s plan for me, for my clients, and everyone else out there.  He sees us, He knows us, and He is leading us.