Proverbs 16:9
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
It’s easy to get swept away in the hustle and bustle of life. School’s coming to an end and assignments aren’t slowing down, Summer is right around the corner and we have trips with family and vacations with friends, we’re wondering what the ins and outs of our summers will look like, and it’s all just driving us a little crazy.
Sometimes I feel like we continue rushing through life, fretting over every little bump in the road, and searching for the next best thing. But what if you took a second to ask Jesus what he’s doing right where you’re at? We tend to move along so quickly that we miss learning moments and times of growth.
My first year out of college I got a job at a personal injury law firm and after a few months of sitting at a desk in stiff professional outfits, I was dying to get out. I was so eager to rush onto the next chapter. I prayed day and night for a way out. I applied for new jobs, I told all my friends and family I was looking for something new, I was allowing myself to be more and more miserable because I SO badly wanted a change of pace, a new adventure. But nothing.
I remember around nine months of writing about car accidents, I finally heard from the Lord. I was sitting in a big team meeting, serious business talk happening all around me, and a still small voice whispered over me, “I will get you out of here. Wait.”
I held onto that for three whole months. I continued applying for jobs and kept searching. I didn’t force anything and I tried my very best to be patient. God used those last 3 months to teach me so much. He used it in ways I didn’t even think possible. I had moments where I shared the gospel with some coworkers, I saw the ins and outs of how corrupt the law world can be, I listened to coworkers open up and share their hearts, giving me space to take their hurts home and pray for them. When I stopped rushing I slowly realized how God’s timing was perfect.
Those three months were important. They were important to God, therefore, they were important to me.
If I wouldn’t have slowed down and been attentive I may have never heard God’s still small voice reassuring me that he has a plan. I may have never experienced the growth I needed in that time. I may have rushed into something new and missed what God was planning all along.
Take time today, to slow down and ask Jesus to meet you right where you’re at. Don’t fast forward to the next school year. Don’t think about leaving for college or starting that new job. Don’t focus on anything in the future, focus on the present. God longs to work right now in your life, don’t miss what he’s doing in and through you.