Burn Those Boats

At IRCC's youth camp in 2008 Pastor Nick Khiroya told a story about Alexander the Great, which I have mostly remembered to date. I'll share with you what I remember.

"Alexander the Great was a mighty warrior and one of the best kings in conquest. The mode of transport in these times was ship and this is how Alexander and his army got around. So when the fleet landed upon the shores of the nation they wanted to conquer, I guess they felt pretty safe knowing that if things went badly, they could turn and run back to their ships and sail off. As they faced the opposing army, they discovered that they were grossly outnumbered. As you can imagine, soldiers started to worry and doubt that they'll live to see tomorrow. Something that Alexander the Great was obviously keen to arrest. He needed all his soldiers completely committed to the task at hand.

He ordered that there ships be burnt. Yes, their only mode of transport now non-existent. It sent a clear message to his army. The only way off this island, is to win the battle. There was now no backup plan if things went badly, there was no get out clause. It was fight or die. Despite being outnumbered, Alexander the Great's army responded to his declaration of intent, winning the battle."

Now I will tell you about something I did. Ok, so I had made the decision to drop out of uni at the end of the semester and find a full time job. Until yesterday however, I hadn't actually officially quit yet. I hadn't filled in any paperwork or anything and I did have my timetable and was enrolled to go to classes. It was like, if finding a job got too hard for me, I'd just go back to uni and waste half the year. Uni is the boats in my story. As long as they are there the temptation is to run away from the fight. Yesterday I burnt my boats. I am no longer a uni student, and there is no other option for me now but to find a job.

I have decided that I'm not going to allow myself to do the easy thing, but I'm going to put all my eggs in one basket and count them before they hatch. In faith that God will provide for me. I would be lying to say I wasn't scared, worried or even doubtful about it. But I can't see any other way. For me to completely commit to this decision I needed to get rid of the easy way out and leave no escape plan. And for me the outcomes are equally as cut and dry as Alexander the Greats; find a full time job or leave home.

Do you think it was easy for me to do that? No way. The easy choice would be to stay in uni. There are hardly any jobs going at the moment. Despite this, I still know that my God is my provider. And when all seems to hard, that is what I'll cling to.