I completed my fourth year of school a little over a week ago now, and I have been meaning to write this post for a while, but thankfully I've been very preoccupied with work ever since I got home. (I say thankfully because it is honestly such a joy to work and I am very thankful for my job with Chick fil A). But tonight I have some free time so I thought I would take the time to write this.
This past year was a very rewarding school year for me; quite honestly the best year I've had in college. I thoroughly enjoyed living at Indiana School for the Deaf, working in the classrooms, and getting to know nine beautiful girls better. And I learned A LOT!! I really improved with my ASL skills and learned about different aspects of teaching that I don't think any lecture hall at Ball State could prepare me for. I also discovered that teaching students with any degree loss is truly what I want to do with the rest of my life. My heart is definitely in this field, and I am thankful that I had the wonderful experience of working in the classroom to realize that.
But this past year was also my fourth year of college, and I have two more years to go. At first, when I realized how long I was going to be in college, I was a little disappointed (and discouraged). The past week was a little more difficult for me because quite a number of my high school friends graduated from college on Saturday.
But God has been constantly reminding me of the verse in Isaiah that says this: " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways', thus says the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). I don't think we as inhabitants of this earth truly understand what this means. I don't think the Lord was only talking about the thoughts we think and the things we do; I think He was also talking about the plans we make for our own life. This verse could also be read "For My plans are not your plans, nor is My timing your timing". Sometimes we make plans for ourselves (or the world makes plans for us or tells us the ideal paths we should follow) and they don't always go the way we map out. But that doesn't mean we are failing in life AT ALL!
I used to believe that if I didn't finish college in four years, I was a failure. But my God has shown me how that train of thinking is the wrong train of thinking. My God's plans are not my plans (or the world's plans) at all, that is for sure. But the good news is His thoughts and plans are higher than mine and are absolutely perfect! Jesus is a GOOD King, and we can trust Him completely to bless our lives and guide it according to His will. NONE of His plans will fail.
However, we have to realize and accept that our plans are not always His plans, and be willing to pray and seek the Lord when life just doesn't make sense. I have two more years (at least) in school, and to some that might sound depressing/disappointing (and honestly, there are days when that reminder is just a painful one). But I believe I will be in school for a while because God has something great and amazing He wants to do with the last two years of my college career. I have absolutely no idea what those plans are, but I know my God is good all the time. ALL the time.
Quite honestly, I am thankful that God placed me in Ivy Tech for two years because although it might of "set me behind", without those two years, I wouldn't have my job at Chick-fil-A. And if you read my last few blogs, you know how much I ADORE my job at Chick-fil-A.
I can trust Him. In the meantime, the Lord just wants me to let Him take the wheel and enjoy the ride. God has a purpose for every single year, every single DAY of our lives; our lives and the work He has for us doesn't start when we start our dream career or marry the partner of our prayers; our life is NOW, today. Today we should live, and live for His glory. His plans are for the future, yes, but just as importantly, they are for today.
So, as I finish my last two years (hopefully ;) ) of school, I am going to use those years to draw closer to my God, and the people He has brought into my life. I have made some incredible friendships during my college career and developed closer relationships with my family; I wouldn't trade those relationships for the best teaching job in the world. Because God has used EACH person I've had the privilege of fellowshipping with to greatly bless and enrich my life.While I take the next two years of school to study hard, I will also take the next two years to spend time with the amazing people God has placed in my life.
We have to remember that God may have different plans than we do, and that is okay. We don't have to know what those plans are; but we do have to learn to TRUST Him and pray more. I am still working on praying more than I do, but I believe that as I pray daily, all the trials and periods of waiting I've gone through (and have yet to experience) will make sense in the light of my Savior's will. And I will learn to trust Him more. So let us put away our life's agenda and our plans, and let us just simply "follow Him". (Warning: It won't be easy, but it'll be worth it!)
