If you’re like me, when you were younger, you probably tried to imagine what your future would look like.
I had thought out what major I would pursue, what job I would have, and I even thought I could figure out where I’d meet my future husband.
I’m only a few years down the road, and everything seems to be a little different than I had planned. Maybe you’re in a place where you think that somewhere on the path you made a wrong turn and weren’t supposed to end up here. Possibly, you’re right where you expected to be but are overwhelmed with it all, so you think surely you’re meant for something else.
I know there are mountains, valleys, and everything in between in our lives, but there's more to it. You don’t have to worry about where you are or where you’re going. (If you want to worry, you’re free to, but it’ll waste your time when you could be doing much cooler things like skydiving or rollerblading.)
God has already mapped out each day of your life and mine. You’ve never made a wrong turn because God, like a very good shepherd, guides and carries us each day. (Isaiah 40:11). He never got distracted or sidetracked when He was planning out where you’d live, go to school, work, or who you’d end up living your life with.
If you know anything about sheep and their shepherd, you know that sheep are easily distracted (like me) and they need their shepherd to lead them to something more. I think that when we spend more time with God, we know more about Him and His heart, so it is easier for us to follow.
“My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him.” John 10:27-28.
Ah! I love that because I can’t escape God’s plan even if I wanted to.
Honestly y’all, the future naturally makes me incredibly nervous. At this moment, I have no clue what I’m going to do after I graduate, when I’m going to get married, or if I’ll even be living in Texas in a few years. But I do know God’s character is nothing but kind, loving, and secure, so why not trust Him?
I think God likes surprising us with new adventures, opportunities, and whimsical moments to make up our lives. Heck, if we knew what each day would already look like, wouldn’t that be boring?
One of my favorite authors, Bob Goff, explains our lives very well with this: “I think God’s hope and plan for us is pretty simple to figure out. For those who resonate with formulas, here it is: Add your whole life, your loves, your passions, and your interests together with what God said He wants to be about, and that’s your answer.”
