Let me just say, I have definitely felt loved over the past several days. Several friends have texted me asking if I am ok & letting me know they are praying for me based on my recent posts and tweets.
First, THANK YOU. Thanks for checking in on me!
Second, I want to explain a little reasoning behind my posts lately. And no, I’m not discouraged, in a crisis, depressed or hating life. Quite the contrary!
There’s this phenomenon that many twenty-somethings go through right about now…a quarter-life crisis. Don’t believe me? Check out these RELEVANT articles, The Proverbial Twentysomething and 11 Things to Know at 25(ish).
In short, there is this idea that once you hit your twenties, you need to have all the answers…know where you’re going, what you want to do, and where you want to be in life. The questions of “what are you majoring in?” and “what do you want to do after you graduate?” become burdens rather than exciting adventures. A few weeks ago, I got caught up in these lies and started to let the pressure begin to push me under. However, over the past several weeks, I’ve discovered something: the freedom of being real.
For so long, I’ve succumbed to these pressures, embraced them and allowed them to dictate my life. And quite frankly, I’m done. I’m done with the notions of going through a quarter-life crisis. And in realizing that, I’ve walked away from trying to figure it all out.
No more trying to have the answers to all of life’s questions. Why do I even need to know them anyways? I was getting so worried about planning out my next three semesters of classes that I missed out on enjoying planning THIS coming semester. Trust me, it’s time to throw away the 5-year plan, 10-year plan….goodness, throw out the 30-year plan! GET RID OF THAT STUFF!
At Church of Hope we are going through a story right now called not a fan. This study has really impacted me personally…forcing me to dive into the question, “Am I a fan or a follower of Jesus?” This question alone has shaped my decision to walk away from having a quarter-life crisis…
In Jeremiah 29:11-13, Jesus says, “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. God‘s Decree.”
And Psalm 139:16 says, ” Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”
God’s Word is telling me that He already has everything figured out. Life really just comes down to one thing: TRUST.
That’s what my posts and tweets have been about lately. Stripping off the false pretense that I have it all together and embracing this journey of trusting a God who is so much bigger than I could ever imagine. I believe there is freedom in honesty…and in that freedom is a joy that is deeply unexplainable and so worth it.
I have come to realize that it is too easy for me to tweet and blog words that I desperately need to make true in my life….but more than just write these words, I need to embrace them–let them truly transform me. I’m on a journey of becoming the woman that God has created me to be, and that begins with me being real….not trying to impress people, not acting like I have it together or have all the answers, and not worrying about what this life has in store. It’s all about TRUST.
So, I’m saying good-bye to the idea of a quarter-life crisis and saying hello to the reality of trusting the God who not only created me, but holds my days in His hands. He already has an incredible plan for me. I’m resting in that.
Do I have this all down perfectly? Nope. And I never will. That’s what becoming is all about….daily choosing to become all that God created you to be–TODAY. Every. Single. Day.
Keep it simple. Trust in a God who is so much bigger than you are. Love with all you’ve got. And enjoy this grand adventure of life. That my friends, is a whole lot better than trying to figure it all out.
