It's pretty amazing how fast time flies, isn't it? I said that a lot while I was puppy raising almost two years ago now, but I've realized just how true that is in these last couple of passing seasons. Today I was randomly reflecting on the dreams of my past and I was thinking about Hobart and Dembre and all the good times we had working together. That season of my life was one of the most fulfilling and perhaps one of the most stretching, but things change.
These days I'm not living out huge dreams. I'm working almost full time as a waiter to save up for college, traveling here and there, and taking some college classes to be one step ahead going into my freshman year of college. Almost every day I think about the time I spent working with CCI and the great friendships that I made. I almost wish I could have those days back and get back the time I used to invest in adorable pups, but that's not where God has me now.
I've learned to step back a little bit and enjoy just impacting people's lives in smaller, less significant ways. I don't get to transform their freedom, but every day I have the chance to love people in a unique way, and to treat people as individuals. That's been a hard transition for me. Over the last year I've traveled some and done some community service work, but I feel like much of my time has been spent learning to enjoy not doing big things.
I haven't given up on big commitment stuff. In fact, I still wish I had the time to come back to CCI and raise more pups, but I know that's just not where I'm going right now. A lot of neat opportunities have arisen over the last few months and I've started to see that maybe letting go of CCI was a good thing for my personal walk.
Somewhere inside me I really wish nothing ever changed. It was the week of Thanksgiving five years ago that I told my family that I wanted to become a puppy raiser. That's half a decade ago. Times have changed, and so have I. I've gotten older and my dreams have transformed into other dreams that I'm pursuing no. It's not really a good or bad thing, but it exists and I have deal with it. I always thought at 25 I'd be puppy raising and I'd just keep going, but life doesn't always work that way.
If any of you that I connected with five years ago are still around puppy raising (which I know some of you are), I applaud your dedication. I dreamed of still puppy raising to this day, but I know that these next steps of life, the new friendships I've made, the prayers of I've prayed are all working together for a big and bright future. CCI was a section of that road for me, but it's not the whole road and I guess I have to say I'm excited to press forward into what's next and never forget where I've been.
~Elijah with no puppy, but an open heart.
These days I'm not living out huge dreams. I'm working almost full time as a waiter to save up for college, traveling here and there, and taking some college classes to be one step ahead going into my freshman year of college. Almost every day I think about the time I spent working with CCI and the great friendships that I made. I almost wish I could have those days back and get back the time I used to invest in adorable pups, but that's not where God has me now.
I've learned to step back a little bit and enjoy just impacting people's lives in smaller, less significant ways. I don't get to transform their freedom, but every day I have the chance to love people in a unique way, and to treat people as individuals. That's been a hard transition for me. Over the last year I've traveled some and done some community service work, but I feel like much of my time has been spent learning to enjoy not doing big things.
I haven't given up on big commitment stuff. In fact, I still wish I had the time to come back to CCI and raise more pups, but I know that's just not where I'm going right now. A lot of neat opportunities have arisen over the last few months and I've started to see that maybe letting go of CCI was a good thing for my personal walk.
Somewhere inside me I really wish nothing ever changed. It was the week of Thanksgiving five years ago that I told my family that I wanted to become a puppy raiser. That's half a decade ago. Times have changed, and so have I. I've gotten older and my dreams have transformed into other dreams that I'm pursuing no. It's not really a good or bad thing, but it exists and I have deal with it. I always thought at 25 I'd be puppy raising and I'd just keep going, but life doesn't always work that way.
If any of you that I connected with five years ago are still around puppy raising (which I know some of you are), I applaud your dedication. I dreamed of still puppy raising to this day, but I know that these next steps of life, the new friendships I've made, the prayers of I've prayed are all working together for a big and bright future. CCI was a section of that road for me, but it's not the whole road and I guess I have to say I'm excited to press forward into what's next and never forget where I've been.
~Elijah with no puppy, but an open heart.
Elijah,
ReplyDeleteI've never really commented on here before, but reading your blog a few years ago was a blessing as I started puppy raising for CCI. Now, two puppies later and a senior in high school, this post really hit me. Thank you. I turned in my second puppy in November and in many ways am in a similar place in life as you. It's been extremely hard letting go of my involvement with CCI go as God and life is pulling me in other directions at this time. But over and over again in the last month God's been telling me that now is time to focus on the littles things and trust Him. Thank you for giving me yet another reminder in this post.
Blessings,
Hannah
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