I have been thinking a lot about God’s calling on my life. Perhaps that is because of the time of life I am in right now. All around me people are going to University, working part time/full time jobs, graduating, getting married and even having babies. Everyone around me is on such different paths and following their calling so differently. Some are taking longer, some seem to be moving rather quickly. For some of us it seems unbearably slow to the point that we wonder if we are really going anywhere at all. It’s then I remind myself, yes God does have a plan, yes I am apart of it, and yes there is a reason I am walking the road that I am. Yes I do try to speed up the process more than I should, but then God reminds me to slow down and take notice of the things He is trying to teach me along the way. I realize these lessons are helping me get to the dreams I have but that doesn’t make it any easier because I just want to reach my dreams NOW! One lesson God and I are working on right now is simply this: surrendering it all to Him. And this is one lesson that just keeps getting implemented over and over and over again in my life. It’s probably one lesson I will never be able to grasp fully but will have to keep exploring through out my life.
Why? because I like to consider myself a dreamer. For the most part I find myself a silent dreamer. I don’t tell too many people my dreams simply because I enjoy dreaming. That and there is always this constant fear of what people would think of my dreams. Yes, I think some of them are that out there. Nonetheless though, they are my dreams. They are the things I am passionate about, and they are things that scare me a little. I heard once that “If Your dreams don’t scare you they aren’t big enough.” So that at least brings me a little comfort at least that I am possibly on the right track. These are the things I think about before going to sleep at night. The thoughts that come to mind randomly as I go about my day. Thoughts that never really seem to go away. Thoughts that make me wonder “what if…” and “how can I get there when I am only here?” That’s when I hear God whisper in to my ear,
“Keep dreaming, daughter, never give up on your dreams. For I have given them to you and I have a way planned out already. Nothing is impossible with me, in fact the impossibilities are endless. Keep dreaming but remember to surrender those dreams to me. We will work hard to accomplish them together.”
Oh it is definitely not easy. Especially when I thought I had my life all planned out. Silly me, right? I know I am not alone though. Towards the end of High School that’s all I remember hearing. Have a plan, make sure more School is in that plan, you must do this and that and…AHHHHHH!!!! It just about made me go crazy. Some people may know exactly what God has in store for them right away, but I also know God only gives us as much as we can handle. What if He knows we wouldn’t be able to hand much more? What then?
I was talking to a friend of mine about this. Both of us were thinking back to our graduating year and the life we have lived between then and now. And both of us could honestly say we had planned to be in a totally different place by now then we actually are. We had not planned for it to be hard. We both had plans to be living a life of ease by now. I know that sounds silly and naive but who hasn’t thought that before?
I heard this quote a few days ago, “God hasn’t called us to a life of ease and happiness, He has called us to serve and obey Him.” (Chris, AIO, The Chosen One)
and…
“Maybe God’s plan for us is different than our plan. Maybe He wants us to go down a more challenging road.” (Elaine, AIO, The Chosen One)
Boy did that not set me straight or what!?!?! A little kick to knock some sense in to me. God may not have an easy map ahead for me as I follow my dreams, and no I do not have all the answers. (I wish) but I do have God on my side and He has promised to not give me more than I can handle at any given time. And what He has given me, He gives me with one request. That I take it, keep dreaming, then give it back to Him so He can grow it, use it, and make it far better then I could of if I had kept it to myself. It’s about surrendering it all daily and continuing to serve, trust, and obey the One that makes it al possible in the end.
Before I end, God gave me this picture a while ago, but it’s a picture that I have never forgotten:
I saw a parent and a child standing face to face. The child had stuffed his pockets full of candies and looked quite pleased with Himself for He loved candy a lot. The parent stood in front of him holding a jar, telling the child to put all of his precious candies in to the jar. The child starts pulling candy out of his pockets and throwing them in the jar. Once he got to the last few he pretended that was all hoping to hold on to at least a few of them, for he wasn’t sure if He’d ever see them again. Not fooling his Dad, His Dad looked at him and asked "Are you sure that is all" Guiltily the boy pulled out the remaining candies and reluctantly threw them in the now full jar. The Dad puts the lid on and screws it on so it is sealed tightly before putting it on a high shelf safe from little eager hands.
"I will keep this safe for you. You may have one at a time, when I say. Trust me that I know what I am doing. Trust me that my timing is right. If I gave these all to you now, you would surely get sick."
Of course the little child was still not too sure what he had done, but he listened to his father anyways and in time, when He asked for a candy, His father gave Him one or two at a time. Now the boy had something to look forward to, and at the same time, could enjoy each candy that much more.
Moral of the story: God only gives us what we can handle, no more no less, simply so we won’t get overwhelmed. This way, we still have room to keep dreaming and to live out lives with hope.
