And Now We Wait

One thing that has fascinated me since entering the workforce is how people respond when I tell them what I do.

“Oh you’re a special education teacher? You must be SO patient!”

I always smile and kindly accept the praise.  Undoubtedly, I have a job that requires patience, but to suggest that God granted me super-human capacities in this regard is laughable. I’m the girl who gets squirrelly during lengthy pre-meal prayers, I’m always antsy in waiting rooms and traffic jams, and I frequently Google how long a movie is then continually check my phone to see how much longer I have to sit still.  (I admit that last one is weird).

Yet, here I am, along with plenty of others, feeling stuck in an in-between stage of life. I have had countless conversations with other twenty-somethings who are anxious to get to that next step, whether that’s in their jobs, their relationships, their finances, etc.

I’ve realized recently that, surprisingly, even those who are much older and wiser than me are often still left seeking, wondering what is coming up ahead. Don’t we all want to get a glimpse of our futures? It’s human nature. Our hearts, when left to their own devices, find it easy to wander from our ultimate purpose. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest have allowed our minds to meander through all that we DON’T have. And our brains transform that into something we MUST have. Infomercials assure us that we can have it all for the low, low price of $19.99 plus shipping and handling. No matter how much we do, there’s still a lurking feeling that we could achieve it all if only we strive a little bit more. That is the American dream after all.  Now I’m a huge advocate of hard work, and I truly believe that if you want something badly enough, you can more than likely get it. But God’s been speaking to me loudly in this in-between phase through the verse in Psalm 46:10 that says,

“Be STILL and know that I am God.” 

He doesn’t instruct us to strive more. Let’s all take a collective sigh of relief. This knowledge is powerful! No matter how much we do, we’ll always feel empty if we aren’t consistently seeking the eternal. I’ve written about contentment in the past because as I look back over my life, I’m well aware that it’s an area that I’ve struggled with. It’s hard for me to be patient as I wait for the Lord to reveal to me what’s to come in my life.  Maybe instead of asking, “Where do I see myself in 5 years?” I should ask “How will God use me in the next 5 years?” I won’t worry about who I’ll marry, where I’ll live, how many kids I’ll have. As the days, months, and years continue to tick by, it’s easy to grow restless in trusting His timing. But wait! Wasn’t God faithful in revealing to me where I should go to college? And what my major should be? Didn’t he direct me towards Godly friendships and a supportive community once I was graduated and in the real world? How quickly I can forget and cling tightly to my own plans.

We’re reminded yet again in Matthew 6:25:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.”

And while I’m the first to admit that this doesn’t come easy, I hope you will join me in choosing to daily surrender your own agenda.  His plan can (and most certainly will) trump your wildest dreams.