2017: a Lesson in Peace, Patience, and Perfect Timing

This year has been super crazy, super busy, and super AMAZING. When this year started, I was still in high school. I was living in my hometown with everyone I’ve grown up with. I was doing what I have always done. Then happened graduation and with it a lot of changes to my life.

To be honest, this summer had me asking all kinds of questions. I was undecided in major, which means I had no answer to the “what are you going to study?” question that everyone kept asking me. I was about to have to leave my home church of 12 years along with all my volunteer positions. I had just made a perfect group of friends who were about to move all over the state. I was going to have to transition from living 15 minutes away from my boyfriend to over an hour and half away. I was so nervous and excited about starting over in a new city, with new people, and a new schedule.  I had been dreading this and looking forward to this for so long now. But I really had no idea just how much would happen for me.

Throughout the past 5 months, God has radically changed my heart and life for the better. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that my first semester of college would lead me to where I am right now. God opened up so many doors that I could have sworn were closed and locked for good. Questions I had been asking for years and years were being answered and dreams were being fulfilled. God opened my eyes to a career path that I never would have discovered on my own (Biostatistics: it sounds a lot more scary than it actually is). I was blessed with an amazing group of friends whom share my ideals, but challenge me and expand my way of thinking about the world. Being long distance with my beau has grown us and we are loving better than we ever have. I’ve received scholarships, interviewed for jobs, and made lots of big girl decisions. I have attended not one, but two college ministries that have shown me new ways to Love God, Love People, and Be the Church. I even took a leap, after having told myself to take a break from leadership (haha like I could really control that), and applied for a leadership position with one  of the ministries. Delight Ministries is devoted to loving women, being vulnerable, and following God’s plans for our lives, and I am crazy in love with its purpose and mission. Needless to say, this first semester has been everything I never imagined in the best ways possible.

For years and years I have prayed “Lord have your way”. It’s become a sort of life motto for me after all this time. But never have I truly meant it as much as I did in this season of my life. Never have I had to truly trust God in the silence as much as this season. Never have I had to be so patient for answers or so reliant on a plan I couldn’t see or yet understand. But that is where God’s peace, patience, and perfect timing have revealed themselves in my life. Through all the seemingly stagnant periods, through all the questioning and doubt, through all the attempts at independence: God was at work. He formed his plan for my life long ago, and he chose to reveal his plan in his timing.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

As I think about all the blessings God has poured over me this year, I am so thankful that even in my weakness, even in my doubt, even in my imperfection, he loves me. He loves me recklessly and unconditionally. His love covers me and his plan for my life will always be greater than mine. With the new year right around the corner (literally hours away) I want to challenge you and me to live in God’s love and to trust his peace, patience, and perfect plan. I want to live every day knowing that God has me in his hands and that he is good.

I want to close with one final thing. This morning as I sat in church preparing myself for 2018 and remembering everything that 2017 had to offer, one of my favorite songs was played. It is called “Not for a Moment” by Meredith Andrews. The lyrics had a new meaning to me. I understood them even more. I hope that they can become my prayer throughout this next year.

After all you are constant

After all you are only good

After all you are sovereign

Not for a moment will you forsake me

Good bye 2017. Thank you for everything. Hello 2018. You will be a good year for me.