Faith

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you” Jeremiah 29:11

This by far is one of my favorite bible verses. God is saying to us that he already has our lives planned and knows exactly what we will do. How crazy is that. Like he knew I would start this blog long before I was ever thinking about it! Wouldn’t it be great if he would just tell us certain things right away? I would LOVE to have him on speed dial when I’m trying to make an important decision and talk through the pros and cons with him. BUT, that would be way too easy. God wants to see our faith, so he has us wait to see how our lives will unfold.

I struggle with not knowing what my life will be like in a year, so God having me not be decided on a certain career path when I started college was very difficult. I never switched my major (except when transferring colleges) but I switched which career path I was going to take at least 50 times. It was very hard for me to stick with one thing and be happy with it. I would pray about it and practically beg God to tell me what to do, like give me a hint, a call or just something! Everyone around me seemed to know what they were doing the rest of their life so why didn’t I?? Half of my friends knew what they wanted to do since elementary school; I however, can’t even remember what I wanted to do. It was very frustrating watching everyone be so happy with their major and career choice when I literally had no clue what I was doing. I was just at college because I was told it would be best to go. It took 3 years before I realized God’s purpose and plan in this mystery.

After two years at Bluffton University, I felt God calling me somewhere else. Things were not clicking well and I was just not satisfied at Bluffton. Don’t get me wrong, I loved all of my friends and professors, but I knew I needed something more. In the fall of 2015, I transferred to Heidelberg University. I was accepted into their Athletic Training program and I finally knew what I was going to do with my life!!! WRONG. I didn’t even make it a semester into the program when I realized blood, bones and dislocations were not for me! So there I was, back to the drawing board and back in a Health Science major that I had no idea what I was going to do with after graduation. I felt stuck, and was very upset with myself for making such a dramatic change in my life without really thinking or taking time to see if it was what I really should have done. I even considered transferring back to Bluffton! However, it didn’t take long for me to realize God’s plan in all of this crazy mess.

At Heidelberg, I had a wonderful professor who taught me more than any class or book I came across in my 4.5 years of college. I will never forget what he said to me during one of our many talks about what kind of career I wanted to have. He said something along the lines of “Don’t worry about what you are going to be doing 10, 15, 20 years from now. You can’t plan your whole life based on how you feel now. You need to worry about your next step. That’s all that matters.” Of course you know, the first time he said this to me, I just nodded my head and agreed. In my head all I could think was yeah ok, you get paid how much to say that, but honestly, he was so right.

During my final semester of college, I was so set on being a Health & Physical Education teacher, I had an internship at a YMCA and I was planning classes and things were just going to work out great. HAHA. Wrong again. Turns out, God had other plans. I am now 7 months into my professional career at my local YMCA. He really does work in mysterious ways. Did I ever think I would be working at a YMCA? Nope. Do I finally know what God has called me to do and feel like I have a sense of what I am doing? Nope. You would think by 23 I’d have a sense of direction. Whelp, I don’t and trust me, it’s something God and I are working on together.

God calls us each to a certain career or path for a reason. He needs us in certain places in this world even if we don’t think that’s where we should be. I desperately want to be a teacher. I would love nothing more than to teach Heath and PE until it’s time for me to retire, but I know that is not where God needs me at this current point in my life. Maybe further down the road but maybe not.  He calls us each in different directions. We try to plan out our lives but looking back, it never goes the way we plan. I don’t know where my life will be in a year and that’s ok. God calls us each by name and leads us to exactly where we need to be when we need to be there. It’s ok to not have it all figured out because nobody else really does either. Just pray and find your next step, don’t try to plan your whole life.

Do not fear, beloved. Daniel 10:19

It will surely come, it will not be late. Habakkuk 2:3