I was talking to my brother Wes while waiting for my daughter Jessie and my wife Cassie to land at the airport. They were returning from visiting family in Texas. I asked Wes how his life path might have been different if he had not decided to go to the high school where our dad taught.

For years, my dad was a math teacher at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. A few of my siblings struggled at the high school near our home. My parents asked if they wanted a fresh start at a different high school, and they eagerly agreed.

I mentioned to Wes that I wished I had been given the opportunity to go to East High like he was. I asked him what the biggest blessing of going to East High had been. He told me he loved the conversations they had each morning while traveling to school together. East High was an influential school attended by some of the wealthiest families in the area. He was also able to build lasting friendships through that community.

One day, Wes was on his way to his English class when he saw a huge line of students waiting to fill out applications for a scholarship. His teacher said, “Wes, if you fill out the scholarship application, I will not require you to come to class today.” After waiting in line for almost an hour, he was finally able to submit his application.

After several weeks of waiting to see who would receive the scholarships, one morning during the school announcements, Wes heard his name. He had been selected as one of three students to receive a scholarship. At a banquet held in his honor, he was presented with a check for a year of schooling at Salt Lake Community College. He later went on to Utah State University, where he earned a dual major in advertising and design.

I asked Wes if he thought he would have gone to college had he not attended East High School. Wes said, “I truly believe I wouldn’t have gone to college if I had gone to the high school near our home.” Wes is the fifth of ten children and became the first in our family to graduate from college.

I like taking a deep breath and stepping back whenever I come to a crossroads in my life. God is in control of my life, and He knows what will bring us the greatest growth. Just when we think we have everything figured out, God often throws us a curveball, and that is okay.