The Hero's Journey

I’ve been thinking a lot about Jeff Sandefer’s lecture, “The Hero’s Journey.”  I wonder how I’m doing on this journey or if I’m fulling on “the hero’s journey.”  Thinking back on the decisions that I’ve made that have lead me to this point in my life, it’s been quite the journey so far and I’ve seen the Lord’s hand in it all.  I don’t think I’ve taken the easy road and I think that’s what has made the journey so rewarding thus far.

I have one loving grandfather that I’ve known in this life and I have great respect and love for him.  Every time I see him, he reminds me of the envy that he feels of my decision to become a veterinarian.  He wishes that someone in his past would have pushed him in that direction.  I don’t know how much of a regret this is for him, but I have never thought of him as a failure.  He’s a hero in my eyes.  His personal influence and encouragement has positively affected my life.  Some days I feel like I could have been happy as a diesel mechanic as he was, but it seems my calling in life ended up being his dream.  I hope that it brings him some joy living vicariously through me.  His most meaningful contribution in life was fathering a loving daughter of God.  Without this loving daughter of God, I would never had found the courage to succeed in life or understood my eternal potential.  I attribute all my success to them and all those that have sacrificed on my behalf.  I pray that my sacrifices will, in turn, bless the lives of others to an even greater extent.