There must have been a point in your life when you had something planned. A dream or perhaps an idea, which you were going to stick to.
There was probably a lot of time and hard work that went into this thing. But it didn’t turn out the way you expected. Were you crushed? Devastated? Lost?
Because I was.
At a low, the Holy Spirit intervened and gave me hope after making me realise that my plan was not God’s plan.
Our plans may seem good to us. But if God isn’t a part of it, what’s the point? It’s more than Him being a part of it, He has to call the shots. And I’m okay with that.
God gives us the freedom to make our own plans. But if you choose to live His will for your life, then it means following His plan. I’ll be the first to tell you: He never disappoints. And His ways are higher than ours.
At sixteen during a sleepover, I decided what my future would be. This was inspired by somebody telling the group about their therapy. I thought to myself, “I’m going to be a therapist.” I like the sound of it.
At that moment, I was figuring out my future. While the others were talking and laughing I was in my own world planning it all.
I was thinking, “I’m a great listener,” (except for that moment when I’m tuning everyone out). “I love giving people advice. This is perfect for me.”
I spent the next years preparing for the life I decided for myself. God laughed, I’m sure He did.
I didn't know Jesus and despite praying to Him, I didn’t really have a relationship with God.
When I did accept Jesus into my life around two years later, I still didn’t let Him have a say in my future. Crazy, I know.
How I knew my plans didn’t align with God’s will
Not realizing God had His own plan for me, I stuck with mine. As I got closer to Him, the more His plans became clear and mine seemed so vain.
‘The plan’ was to pursue a career in Psychology. I was going to work my way up to a Doctorate Degree, I was going to be the first doctor in my family and I was going to help people. But I was two-thirds into my bachelor’s when I realized this wasn’t what God wanted for me.
The closer I got to God the more I realized my plans were not His will for me. It was always at the back of my mind, and I tried to block it out as long as I could, but eventually, it caught up with me.
I was devastated for weeks whilst I came to terms with it. Lost and numb, I felt I had no direction. All that hard work I had put into my education, had it all been a waste?
It got to the point where I had to break down, surrender, and bring it to God. One night, on my knees, I confessed I was lost and feeling like I was going nowhere. That night, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He told me to “be still.” That pacified me for the moment, although I still had a lot of questions.
Little did I know the next day would change me.
The next night I got down on my knees again. Something happened earlier that day. An opportunity came up that wouldn’t be available for many months later. It was a long way ahead so I asked God what I should do in the meantime.
The Holy Spirit put in me new dreams and desires. He gave me direction. He gave me purpose. I wasn’t given the whole picture, only a glimpse. But it was enough to keep me going. It was something to focus on and look forward to. Blogging was in the mix of all that.
The next day, I felt like a ton of bricks came off me. I had my joy back! I realized how ridiculous it was to assume I could plan my whole future without giving God a say.
I’m glad He didn’t let me have my way because I would have missed out on His perfect plan for me.
Was it all a waste?
Of course not! I achieved something, I have a degree. Though most people will say that it’s a waste. But I would disagree. God had me go through college for a reason.
I had the opportunity to evangelize to others. And I met some of the best people.
There are a few who I met that have been a major part of my walk of faith. I cannot imagine my life without them. I’m forever grateful God placed such people in my life. I know I wouldn’t have met them if I had never gone there.
The classes I took in college helped me to understand others on a different level. I also learned patience, hard work, and commitment- essential for blogging and all areas in life.
I learned a lot throughout this journey. And I’m grateful for every experience.
Nothing is wasted when you have God in your life.
What I learnt
Things may not work out the way we planned. And that’s okay. God places new dreams, desires, and goals in our hearts.You’ll know they are there for a reason. The reason being is that they align with God’s plan for you and it’s all to glorify Him.
You don’t have to understand what’s going on at the moment. You don’t have to make sense of what’s happening. And that’s okay too.
Only remember you have a faithful God who you can lean on in all seasons.
Whether you got yourself in a mess or you got lost thinking you knew where you were going, God has your back. You can never stray so far from God’s plan that He can’t steer you back in the right direction, I know this to be true.
I still have a long way to go and trust that God will get me there, and with this in mind, I’m grateful for the seasons to come.
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