I should start by saying that the plan God has for our lives is so much grander than the plans we make for ourselves…
I was supposed to be going to interviews for PA school this summer and fall.
I was supposed to be done with all my schooling before I turned 26.
I thought that this time next year I would be dating a Jesus-loving, kind-hearted, hard-working, hunk-of-a-man.
I thought that the ability to buy a house in Grand Junction meant that I was going to stay there.
But let me tell you, I was so wrong! You know that Thomas Rhett song where one of the lyrics is “you make your plans and you hear God laughing”? Yeah, that is exactly how I feel. At least I can be sure that the God I serve has a sense of humor!
Here is the thing about life, the only thing we can count on is change. I don’t know about you, but I think change is terrifying.
For the last few years, instead of picking a New Year’s resolution, I pick a prayer. In January of 2018 I started to look at my post-graduation plans. In April I would start applying to PA schools, in June I would take the GRE, in August I would start my senior year, and in September I would attend interviews. My year was planned… until I panicked.
What if PA school isn’t what I was meant to do? I haven’t explored any other careers. What if Grand Junction is not where I am supposed to be? My parents are in Durango and I have a job I absolutely love waiting for me in my home town.
And in that moment I knew what my prayer for 2018 would be. I sat down, teary-eyed and said these words out loud: “God, I need you. I have no idea what I am supposed to do after graduation. I just want you to use me and if you do, I promise to do whatever it is well. Please, Lord, move in my life!” Holy-guacamole has He moved, changed, and showed up in my life.
In April of this year God introduced me to The World Race and I have felt nothing but confidence since. What is The World Race? It is an 11-month mission trip to 11 countries. I will be leaving in June of 2019 and traveling to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Morocco, Ethiopia, Djibouti, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia. But first, I have to raise $19,200 to cover the cost of the trip.
Talk about ruined plans.
But here I am, humbled, eager, and ready to watch God continue to move in my life. I cannot wait to see the ways Jesus is stealing hearts. I cannot wait to love on people who have known nothing but pain their entire lives. There is absolutely no way to prepare myself for all the things I will see or the people I will meet, but I hope that God continues to ruin my plans. I hope that He will ruin my plans and replace them with His, and I pray He won’t stop until I see Jesus face to face.
