Today, I wanted to provide some encouragement to those of you who may look around at the life you are living and think…
“What in the world am I doing.”
I have always been a planner – I mean color coordinated calendars and post-it reminders and always knowing what is coming next - type of person. Rarely did I feel I fit into my class or got along with my peer group because I was always looking ahead and knew EXACTLY how my life would unfold.
Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” was my life’s unofficial motto. Perhaps I was driven by being your traditional type A eldest daughter, or anxiety, or it was simply my experience growing up.
But I always knew where my life was headed, or I used to.
As Provers 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Let me give you a quick side by side comparison starting with Alissa’s plan:
1. Career: Cardiothoracic Surgery PA
2. Husband: Christian, 9am-5pm job, no military [ever]
3. Location: Ohio. duh.
4. Eventually have kids, raise them near family, and live a quiet, normal life
The Lord’s current plan:
1. Career: Stay at home wife and dog mom working on dreams God gave her she said she did not have time for [He made time for her lol]
2. Husband: Christian, 3am-9pm job, supa military man
3. Location: Virginia, with the potential to end up overseas, and no idea where she will actually be living after October
4. Raise kids: when it happens, near family: depending on where God calls us, quiet, normal life: not even close
And I am not going to lie to you and say that when the Lord dropped this plan into my life, I was ecstatic and immediately answered with “your will be done.” I wish I had, but instead I was anxious and felt like I had failed. I was overwhelmed with concern about how others would look at me and felt the need to explain everything to ensure others knew I was trying to live a life worth being deemed “successful” by the world.
Yet, this was the life God established for me. He slowed me down and made me realize I needed to increase my faith and just follow the path He laid before me one step at a time. And likely, that one step is all He will show me, and He will only show it to me in His time. Why? Because it keeps me reliant on Him.
Sure, God could have given me a normal life. He could have taken me on the conventional route and made it nice and pretty so when the world looked at me, they thought: ya, that girl is killing it. [And there is nothing wrong if God blessed you with this life, its just for me this is not how life turned out and I want to provide encouragement for others who feel this way too.]
Instead, He gave me a path that is quite exceptional. He is taking me on an unconventional route, and yes, the world might not think I am “killing it” at the moment but God is more worried about my holiness and obedience than my status here in this temporary world.
I know right now, you might feel like you are failing, behind, unsuccessful, and losing. I know you may feel ashamed, embarrassed, or forgotten.
I do.
But God is intentional and purposeful. Each season of your life that you walk through is leading you closer to what God has in store for your life. No, these plans may not align with your big ideas and dreams, and perhaps the world will never give you the credit you feel you deserve. But we are not living for them, we are living for God. And God has ALWAYS been counter cultural.
So even though your life might not be on your track, trust it is on the right track. How do I know? Because God says when we trust in Him and lean on Him, rather than our human intelligence and strength, He will straighten our paths [Proverbs 3:5-6].
I know it is hard, especially when everyone else on socials seems to be thriving and living in their purpose NOW. But what looks like a delay, may be your preparation for all God has in store waiting for you in time, when you are ready.
“For every ‘what if I fail,’ and ‘what have I missed’ and when there are so many things that do not make sense, let Him be the one who gives you rest. Even if the timing of it all is still hard to understand, let Him remind you: no chapter from your future has ever slipped out of His hands.” – Morgan Harper Nichols
So, plan, be organized, do your best, but if God redirects you and your life goes down a path you never foresaw, do not forget to sit for a moment and look around. God has a plan for this time in your life. Find it, embrace it, learn from it, and rest in His timing. He will reveal the next step soon enough. He is never late.
Focus on what He was calling you to do TODAY because, you have never been guaranteed a tomorrow.
#embracethesuck :)
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