The Path Forward

Where are you being called to go from here? Reflecting on this, I focus more and more on the ‘from here’ aspect. Long before I knew what FrancisCorps or even a year of service meant, I knew that I was being called to law school and that part of that calling was a gap year between college and law school.

The timeline was logical and natural to me, the goal of the gap year being lived experience of adulthood and a “9 to 5” job so that I could return to school with eyes more open to the reality of the society whose legal system I seek to affect. I will be heading off to law school this fall, so on paper my timeline is just as I planned it when I committed to FrancisCorps back in February 2020. But the reality of where I am right now is so different from everything I envisioned.

From the far-reaching effects of the pandemic on my work, community and personal life, and application cycle, to the overwhelming amount I’ve learned in my job placement, the mindset I’ll move on ‘from here’ with couldn’t have been planned. I have lived through so much this year, and I’m only just starting to process it, starting to remember and reflect upon details and moments that flew by. As the end draws closer, I think less about where I’m heading, and try to dive deeper into the moments we have left, trying to reflect while they happen. My long term plans haven’t changed, but the way I live the present has been deeply altered by my FrancisCorps year. Meditating on Franciscan charism during our last retreat, I thought about how learning to live Franciscan values has not only deepened my faith and connection to God, but has expanded my ability to connect with everyone and everything around me, giving me a hope and a peace I never knew before. My path forward will look the same as I expected, but it will feel so much richer and truer as I bring these experiences, practices, and values with me.  

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