Don't You Worry, Child

See Heaven’s got a plan for you.

90 days. As of today, I graduate from college in 90 days. This chapter of my life will be finished and I will be out in the real world, doing real life, adulty things. Let me tell ya, I had a “holy crap, it’s February” moment a few days ago and it rocked my world. This semester is already zooming by so quickly, student teaching is almost half over, and I need to start applying for teaching jobs very soon. I would be lying if I said this wasn’t scary. There are so many unknowns in my life right now, such as, what district I will be teaching in next year, what school, what grade level, when I will get a job, where I will live and work this summer, when I will know about that, etc. If you know me very well, you know the unknown terrifies me. I am a die-hard planner, one of those people that often has a backup plan for my backup plan. This is the first time in my entire life that I really have to deal with not knowing exactly what the future holds. Even though I grew up military, there was always a plan, and my parents always worked everything out. I knew where I was going to college by December of my senior year of high school. Not knowing exactly what I am doing when I graduate in May is uncharted territory for me.

As the semester continues on, and seems to speed up, you would think that I would just put my trust in Jesus and rest in Him, but I find myself so stressed and anxious and worried about the future even though I have little control over it right in this very moment. I think I know what I want and need, where I want to teach, where I want to live and work this summer, and I keep trying to be Miss Independent, and figure everything out on my own, but Young, author of The Shack, so brilliantly stated, “for any created being, autonomy is lunacy. Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love,” (P. 132). Jesus wants me to call on Him, trust Him, and obey Him. Instead of pursuing what I think I want, I need to follow God’s calling for my life. Instead of bargaining with Him and telling Him what He should do for me and how I want everything to work out, I need to trust His plan and obey Him. His plan is perfect, while mine is flawed.

Furthermore, I keep stressing myself out because I want to know what the future holds right now and struggle so much with patience. I find that when I pray for things, I want answers immediately, but sometimes the answer is simply, “wait.” Do I trust God even when the answer is wait? As much as I would like to answer yes to that question, I honestly can’t all the time.

If you’re a graduating senior like me or are just anxious and worried about the future, whether that is about where you are moving, what job you are going to have next, etc., this is for you. There is a plan for your life, just like there’s one for mine. God has already mapped out the perfect paths for our lives, just like He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track,”(Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message Bible). Pray for God to reveal His plan to you, trust that it is good and perfect, and rest in His love.

Don’t you worry, child. See Heaven’s got a plan for you.

Have a great week and remember to trust in Jesus!

Yours Truly,

Steph