Well, yes, I know everything will go as He plans. But, is it not healthy to have apprehension for alternative plans? Is it not healthy to feel pressure to do what we are called to do in this life?
I get it. I am one of the most optimistic people you can find. . . not caring about alternative plans or even thinking about them until the only plan I had doesn't work out. I am a dreamer, but I am also a reality-liver. Back-up plans have always given me a blanket of security that I am not called to have. I am called to go all out for Christ and to trust that He will get me to wherever He needs to be.
Mind you, I am not talking about absolute recklessness. You can be pursuing multiple paths at one time, all within His calling for your life. I'm talking about people who plan to be a lawyer but worry if they can make it through law school. So, instead of devoting all their time to studying for law school and honing their studying skills, they dedicate and wear themselves out by pursuing other jobs and working themselves into the ground. In the end, they end up where they never wanted to be because that is what came easiest.
Dreams. . . plans. . . pressures. . . they are not easy. Let me tell you that much. I want to be a writer and a wife/mother. But, I sure ain't going to sit around and wait for that dream to drop in my lap; no way! I am working at a job, going to college, and writing all I can on the side. I invest in things I love, but always pray and focus my heart on the two things I believe God has called me to. If that calling changes, then I'll follow. But, my dream is clear. My focus is clear.
However. . . just saying one's focus is clear and they know where they are going does not in any way mean the road will not be tough and full of obstacles. Remember those friends that say everything is alright and will work out? Anyone who very seriously has a dream knows such things do not represent focusing. They represent forgetting and laziness.
It is true: God says do not be anxious but be prayerful. Just because we feel the need to get things accomplished does not mean we are worried. It means we have a plan we are pursuing and we are working on accomplishing. If you want a life of no pressure and a life of continual 'working out,' it's not the life God calls us to.
He calls us to a life of faith. Faith that He will always be next to us and supporting us. Faith that we can jump and can look down the whole time. Faith is a serious endeavor. We cannot just sit back and say things will work out. We need to work harder than ever to get where we need to go. . . having faith that our efforts are never in vain. That's life.
Life is hard work. It is full of trials, pressures, and obstacles. You can avoid that truth all you want, comfort others that everything will be alright. . . but, when it comes down to your own life, does it ever work? True friends do not simply state everything is cool. . . let's go have fun. They support each other, talk with each other, stand by each other.
My question to you is. . . will you let life be a joy-ride and nothing more or will you dare to dig deep into your soul, finding God's calling on your heart and running with it? Are you willing to work harder than you have had to before? Be more diligent, honest, true. . . focused? Or do you see this time of life as a place to sit still? Which path do you think will be the path where blessings pour all over you? Which path will lead to a stronger and more joyful heart?
You choose. Choose your life today. Choose between who you are and who you want to be. Choose. . .
Good post, Hannah, and very thought provoking, though I probably see things a bit differently than you. Take the following for instance:
ReplyDelete"However. . . just saying one's focus is clear and they know where they are going does not in any way mean the road will not be tough and full of obstacles. Remember those friends that say everything is alright and will work out? Anyone who very seriously has a dream knows such things do not represent focusing. They represent forgetting and laziness.
It is true: God says do not be anxious but be prayerful. Just because we feel the need to get things accomplished does not mean we are worried."
By the same token, I don't believe saying that everything is alright and will work out necessarily constitutes passivity or lack of focus. It is simply a recognition that our plans may not work out like we anticipate...but that is okay because His eye sees even the sparrow fall...and things will be alright. :-)
Thank you, dearest. I loved this post!
ReplyDelete"He calls us to a life of faith. Faith that He will always be next to us and supporting us. Faith that we can jump and can look down the whole time. Faith is a serious endeavor. We cannot just sit back and say things will work out. We need to work harder than ever to get where we need to go. . . having faith that our efforts are never in vain."
Amen. What a wonderful reminder for me.
*chuckles* Mark. . . why do you always have to challenge me to word my phrases in such a way where they are above possible reproach? I am not constituting that every single person who says 'everything' will be alright is thereby conveying a spirit of passivity. I am saying that, in general, people tend to play up the statement and that most acquaintances referring to themselves as friends use it as a way out. They use it to find no other way to support another.
ReplyDeleteWe are digging into the motivations behind such a phrase, something that would have made my post far too long. I was simply generalizing to make a point about the general depiction of such a statement, not the entire meaning behind an individual saying it.
Amazing post, my friend! Very thought provoking and deep. Love it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's true - SO many people live for the moment, they don't look ahead. Reminds me of the hymn: I'm pressing on the upward way - new heights I"m gaining everyday - and saying as I'm onward bound - Lord, plant my feet on higher ground!
God should be our focus. Glorifying and proclaiming Him should be our purpose. Doing HIS will should be OUR plan, and ultimately, our life.
I love your blog! I shall be following!
Love in the Savior,
Buttercup