Amanda,
Come now, and hush your mind. Just set those anxious thoughts aside long enough to be still. Let Jesus draw near, and you don’t need to say a thing. He knows it all, and still, He is there. He sees your baggage, your unrest, and your wandering mind. Unpack all the things you’ve collected. You don’t need them here.
Overthinking is a net that wants to entangle you. Don’t let it. You were created to march forward on this trail God has blazed before you and lead others in that way. Don’t get tripped up. Your steps are ordered by the Lord. See? Proverbs 20:24, “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”
So relax. Breathe. Sit still a minute, and let the layers of complicated questions be stripped away by a Savior who wants you to simply trust Him.
Do you remember the times He led you out of what you thought you knew? Recall the days you were a college student who had your journey all figured out. Remember how secure you felt being able to see ten years ahead of you – or so you thought. Then, remember the faith it took to make a leap into the unknown. Remember how He stirred your heart so clearly in that moment. Do you remember how He put out His hand and asked, “Do you trust me?”
Now, remember the void of the in between. The reality that you just walked away from everything you thought you knew for a prompting that something was coming. But in those few moments, there was nothing but unknown. Vast, empty, mysterious blank space between what had been and the new that was coming, and all that kept you in suspense was faith. You learned to really depend on Him there. And He made a way. He carved out solid places for your feet to stand and you learned to walk within in the void, within His hand, within the realm of faith.
You had nothing figured out, yet you had everything you needed.
In time, in His perfect time, He brought the pieces together. You turned over possibilities and dreams in our hearts, but from where I stand, it looked nothing like we had once planned it. And that’s okay. Because now, as you mull over the mysteries of “what if”, remember that He has the Master Plan. Rest in knowing the responsibility of figuring it all out doesn’t rest on your shoulders. Breathe out the fear of the unknown, and anchor yourself in knowing this good God who is large and in charge.
He is good. He is faithful. He is dependable. He is with you, always. He is Sovereign. He is attentive to the details. And He has chosen you to be a part of His great plan.
All you have to do is walk in it with a heart surrendered to whatever He has designed. Stay close to Him, and recognize that this adventure He has you on will not look like it did before. It won’t look like someone else’s journey. It won’t be like we planned it. And that’s okay.
Take this word from your Heavenly Father to heart:
“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:18-19
If you just fix your eyes on Jesus, stay close to Him, and let His peace anchor your heart when “what if” stirs up anxious thoughts, you’ll make it out of the wilderness. He’s never failed you, yet. He wants your trust, not your analysis. Your energy is better spent studying who He is and what He is doing in the world at large. Press into Him, and you’ll find your way. After all, He promised:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” –Matthew 6:33
Keep on keeping on,
Amanda
