Saturday, July 19, 2014

Graduation, Career Paths, and God's Plan

So, we've got one more day of this squat challenge! I hope you've all challenged yourselves to stick it out and finish strong!! 

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for me. I started my LAST class to complete my BS in Kinesiology, this past monday. All of the time and effort I have put in to it is almost done. I'm excited to meet this milestone and achieve this goal that I have had to graduate.With graduation fast approaching, I started applying for new jobs a few weeks ago. It's always a strange feeling when you're watching a new season of your life approach, it's exciting and nerve wrecking all at the same time and as I began to apply for new jobs in the "real world", I was facing all of these emotions. I found a posting for a particular position and began to do some research on the employer. It took almost no time for me to get excited and passionate about the position, the company, and the opportunity. So, on Sunday afternoon, I sent in my resume and application. And by friday I was offered employment with them. It was one intense week!

Through these weeks the Lord has been so incredibly faithful to me. As the craziness of this week unfolded...actually the craziness has been happening all summer and just sort of came to a high point through this week...I was confronted by every fear I have, every negative thought I think about myself, extreme emotions and nervousness. I was mentally and emotionally weary, but every time one of these fears or negative thoughts or nervous breakdowns began to approach, I was covered by a Peace that surpasses all understanding. It was in these moments that God quietly and tenderly whispered the truth of His love over me, and reminded me of who I am in Him and that He is more than enough for me. I began to realize that my life is in His hands, that He has good things for me, and that if He doesn't open the door for this job then that just means that He has better things in store for me. It was remembering this truth, that gave me the confidence to walk through each opportunity knowing the Lord had gone before me, and the victory belongs to Him and Him alone. 

Beautiful things happen when we say, "yes" to God and allow Him to lead and guid (okay, sometimes drag) us through difficult and scary situations. We begin to see His hand at work, we are able to see that He really does protect, provide, and pave the way to His plans for us that are prosperous, that give us a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11 for the fullness of this promise). One verse in particular that the Lord showed me as I was spending some quiet time with Him this week, is Psalm 40:5 and it says, "May, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done and Your thoughts toward us, there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count." This verse just solidified for me, the truth that God has a plan and a purpose for my life and with trust and faith and a willing heart to walk where He calls me, He will be faithful to complete that work and fulfill all of His promises. He is GOOD, He has good things for each of us, and wants to take us all on an incredible adventure of a life!