What do you do when life isn’t going as planned? When the future is unsure, and you don’t know what is going to happen?
I’m a twenty-year-old college student who has absolutely no idea what I am going to do with my life. My future is filled with a hundred different paths that stretch out before me, and I don’t know which one to take. Which path is plausible? Which is good? And most importantly, which one is God-approved?
Spring gave a convincing false start last month in Chicagoland. It was the first of March, and I found myself outside in the shining sun, enjoying a mild 60° breeze. After three months spent licking icicles (which have since returned,) I was unable to resist nature’s charms—shed a quick tear for global climate change—and took a walk in the woods. After about a mile, I stopped to sit on a split log and looked up into the sky. Gazing into the vast blue dome rimmed in still-naked black oak branches, I took a deep breath and thought, “I am so glad I exist."
Have you ever been worried that you missed it?
I mean, do you worry that you missed your place in the world, your purpose, your calling? Do you ask, “What if I’m not making a difference in the world?”
A lesson on choosing to see the good.
Every time I look at the bright blue sky, I see a swarm of tiny, black gnats. As I shift my eyes left and right, they follow me. It’s as if each oddly shaped little bugger is fighting for the spotlight in the center of my vision. It’s distracting; it pulls my focus away from cloud gazing and onto the annoyance of the squiggle that interrupts my line of sight.
...or is the culture changing us?
The average woman in the United States lives for about 29,565 days (or, rather, 81 years). I just turned 26 yesterday, so I'm approximately 9,491 days into my life - already about 1/3rd of the way there.
You know how seeing a picture can bring back memories?
I saw a photo recently that reminded me of a time in my life where I felt my lowest. It was a photo of myself and a few friends the day after I had a major anxiety attack. At the time the photo was taken, I had been living in Southeast Asia for almost 4 years as a missionary. I was involved in wonderful ministries, had amazingly encouraging friends, food to eat, a place to live, etc. Life was good. From the outside.
I'm sure you saw the title of this post and thought, "Great, another blog post about how Ruth is the epitome of singleness in the Bible." I'm happy to report that that's not what this post is about. I love the book of Ruth. I think it can definitely be helpful to single women, but sometimes, and maybe this is just me, it reads to me of the story of a girl who lost her husband and throws herself at the first available man. Obviously, I'm taking things WAY out of context, and there's a lot more going on in the story than that.
Do you ever struggle trusting God’s plans? Or find it difficult being joyful with the callings He's placed in your life? Me too. Questions of how, when, where, and why flood my head and my heart.
Recently, I asked God to speak to my unbelieving/struggling heart, and as a faithful God, He spoke through the book of Mark at a church service, encouraging me to be faithful in living a life that's glorifying and all-devoted to following Him. The passage, and message, taught me there's three aspects of a servant's call, all of which begin with Jesus.
I am a huge foodie. I have been my entire life.
So much so that, when I was younger, my mom always thought that I would become a food critic when I grew up because I enjoyed every meal that she lay before me. Friends who know me well know how much I love food because of how vocal I am whenever I eat a good burger or how excited I get when I talk about a good meal I've had at a new or favorite restaurant.
With my hair pinned back in curls, half-inch heels tightly strapped to my feet, and a flowing red gown draped over my small frame, I was ready. As a wide-eyed 11 year old, I couldn't wait to wow the judges with my wit, charm, and fake eyelashes. I knew they would adore me.
Stepping into the interview, I smiled big (braces and all), introduced myself, and gave the three pageant judges a little wink. With only three minutes on the clock, I couldn't waste a second.