Getting There

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. --Proverbs 16:9


I am the type of person who likes to plan ahead as much as possible. Although I like to participate in many different things, I know I have to budget my time if I want to fit it all in. Whenever possible, I like to make lists, block out sections of time, and stick to an agenda.

Of course, that all worked fine when I was a college student and had a course syllabus to follow for a 10 week period. Now that I'm part of the "real world", I have come to see that life doesn't like to stick to a schedule. As Dr. Laura says, "Life is what happens while you're busy planning other things." God is teaching me how to be flexible and how to embrace change rather than hide from it. I've had to learn--sometimes the hard way--that I am not the one who plots my course.

I've learned that it is okay to have goals and ambitions, but I've also learned that God is the one who will fill in the details of how to make those goals a reality. For example, I knew that after graduation I wanted to live and work in San Diego, but I didn't know exactly how to make that happen. I did my best to be responsive to the Lord's promptings, and as a result, he opened up possiblilities for me that I may not have found if I had been too deeply entrenched in trying to make things happen of my own accord. Although there were times when I felt like I was making very little progress toward my goals, I know that every movement was directed by him.

When it comes to my goals, I always like to be moving forward.I am frustrated whenever I feel that I've come to an impasse, whether it be a health setback, or a time constraint. God has shown me that the times he has stopped me in my tracks are not because he's decided to not let me continue forward. I think those times may serve to wait for God to provide me with a solid foundation on which I can set my feet for that next step along the way.

God has instilled in me a goal-oriented attitude. I am thankful that he has been guiding every footfall along my path to seeing them realized.