I have always been one of those people with a five year plan. Go to college, graduate with a degree, land a great job and find a husband to share it all with. Sound pretty normal right?
My fall semester of senior year rolled around and all of these plans started to fall apart. Somehow my desire to gain a career turned into a desire to do ministry. My gut was telling me to pursue jobs working for college ministries and churches, but my head was telling me not to waste my degree.
My brain has been hard wired to succeed in everything I do. Turning in the towel and choosing ministry felt like failure in my eyes. For about six months I argued with God. I told him I wanted to do journalism. I wanted to work in a newsroom. I wanted to make money and be safe. Ultimately, I was asking for comfort.
Following Jesus shouldn’t be comfortable.
As I continued to pursue what everyone told me to, I continued to receive rejection after rejection from news stations. God was telling me something loud and clear, but I just kept fighting Him.
About two weeks before graduation I prayed a big prayer – “where do you want me God?” I figured he would answer with some state or town that I just hadn’t applied to yet. Instead, he answered with eleven countries. I woke up the next morning feeling like I needed to submit my application to the World Race. All the anxiety, worry, fear and rejection I had felt over the last six months all stemmed from me fighting against the will of God. Fighting against the desire he put in my heart to go to the nations.
Exactly a week before graduation I submitted my deposit to the World Race. Right when I clicked that submit button I knew I was back on God’s path. I sighed a huge breath of relief and thought, “if only I had listened and obeyed when you first gave me the desire to go… but I still ended up right where you wanted me.”
The only time we can grow is when we are uncomfortable. Don’t settle for easy, strive for uncomfortable. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support already. You can support me in three ways – pray, share and give. I am excited to see how the Lord provides through all of my friends and family over the next year!
“But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33
