As Thanksgiving wraps up and the Christmas season starts, I am more aware of how much my family means to me. They bring me so much joy and are always there to share my sorrows and joys. Last night I watched a movie about the exact dilemma I am facing: should I pursue the career I desire or compromise to stay near my family? It's not about which is more important (because for me the answer is obvious) but of timing.

There's a time to invest in family as a young adult. And there's a time to spread my wings and learn to live on my own. But my family members are my best friends so how could I just move far away from them for something as uncertain as a career?

Some people in my life don't like when young people move away from their families and don't understand why I just can't take a job where my family lives. I mean I could, but then what is all this "find a career that fits your life calling" talk?

There are so many options for careers nowadays that if we have to narrow it down somehow, it might as well be by preference. Women are no longer limited to jobs of secretaries, teachers, and nurses. More opportunities mean more decisions, and when it comes to me, any decision is hard.

It doesn't feel right to give up either family or career. Maybe a compromise will emerge.

Time's a ticking, but all I can do is trust God day-by-day. At the moment I am not ready to make these decisions, but I have to believe that in the next few months either circumstances or increasing clarity will guide me. We often try to rush decisions that aren't meant to be made now. There is a time for everything.

Once we feel prompted to action, we have to just do something. Send an email, talk to someone knowledgeable, or get resumes out there. Sometimes connections and solutions are already out there, just waiting for the right time to be discovered. And we must believe, believe that God does want good for our lives and that even in the quietest moments, He is busy at work in our futures. Hope changes everything, even this seemingly impossible decision.