“What are you going to do after you graduate high school?” This is the question that has been thrown in my face every week for years now. It’s the question that I have spent many hours trying to figure out, and the question that has made me very very stressed. To try to answer this question, I looked into many different colleges and careers, trying to find one that looked interesting, because you have to go to college right after high school, right?
After thinking through my options many many times, I finally came up with a plan. When people would ask me what my plans were, I would tell them that I was going to go to the University of Minnesota Duluth for generals, and hopefully, I would find a major that interested me. But like I said before, it was me that decided this plan, not me and God. And boy oh boy did God have something different in mind ;p
This summer when I was at Teen Serve, God started to lay on my heart that I wasn’t supposed to go to college just yet. When I first started to think about it, I’m not gonna lie, I was kinda freaked out. How could I not go to college after high school? I could just imagine the looks of disappointment from members of my community. And what would I do instead? Will I lose all of my scholarships? I was so scared, but deep down I knew that God was right. When I first shared that I might not go to college after graduation with my best friend, I felt like a big weight was immediately lifted off of my shoulders. But of course, being as stubborn as I am, I still had my doubts. The next day I was listening to the song “Have Your Way,” by Britt Nicole. I had heard this song before, but this time, the chorus hit me HARD! It says “So I’ll stop searching for the answers, I’ll stop praying for an escape, and I’ll trust you God with where I am and believe that you will have your way. Just have your way.” When I heard these words, I stopped whatever I was doing. Never in my life had I heard God so clearly. With this song, He told me that it is okay to not always know the next step, because God knows, and he will always take care of me and love me no matter what. I am not in control, but I am deeply loved by the one who is.
Alright. I now know that I will not be going to college next year. So…what will I be doing next year? When I asked this question, the calling I’ve had for missions was stronger than it ever was before. So I started to look into a few different missionary programs, but there are soooo many, I didn’t know how to pick. When I shared my struggles/concerns with my small group, my friend told me about a gap year program called the World Race, and she told me that she could totally see me doing it. When I got home that evening, I checked their website right away. I was in awe at all of the amazing things that they were doing; it was exactly what I wanted to do. One month and a lot of prayers later, I found myself applying to the World Race, and before I knew it, I was accepted!!!
Now when people ask me, “What are you going to do after you graduate high school?” a big grin automatically appears on my face, and I proudly tell them that I am going on a 9 month long missions trip to Thailand, India, and Guatemala. Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming!!!
“We may make a lot of plans, but the Lord will do what He has decided.” Proverbs 19:21
