by Michael Holland     

By the time my oldest son was a sophomore in college, he had been asked the question “what’s your major” at least 1,000 times.  This question started to come up in middle school: casually at first, both at school and with us, his ever-concerned parents.  Steady progression of the question continued into high school, climaxing at his graduation party before leveling off to some degree when he started college.

I’ve tried desperately to balance the intent of this question with my heartfelt desire to have him find his path in life.   I firmly believe it is far more important to pursue education and life’s paths when you are drawn forward with passion rather than by duty alone.  God gives us talents and gifts, and they should be pursued in order for us to reach our full potential and value.

My good friend Chris figured this out earlier than most of us.  Chris swam against the current of society’s push to achieve financial freedom through self-induced career slavery.  He chose to take a job which required him to walk through the woods of Virginia to spot, identify, and catalog rare plants.  Finding rare plants allowed him to then seek ways to cleverly acquire the land for protection.  These activities happened to also be some of his hobbies.

Tucker, my then college-aged son, listened to his heart and God’s draw for him.  He transferred colleges to pursue his path, and I am incredibly proud of his courage to listen deeply and pursue life.  He’ll still be asked “that question” and hopefully he’ll just smile confidently. Because when we’re seeking to follow God and find our calling, the “what’s your major” question isn’t the real question we need to ask or be asked.