I can't say I wish I was 18 all over again. That was the year I made very poor decisions!!!
Exactly 2 months ago, I turned 27 (don't laugh, I am not ashamed)! So, I'm a late bloomer (ouch)...and, my wisdom teeth are just finally surfacing (bigger ouch)! All of a sudden, I realized I had foolishly stopped setting goals for myself as soon as I hit 25! I had reached my "comfort zone", which is quite dangerous, as that is usually when growth stops. Note the following short-sighted, worldly goals:
- Secure a stable career
- Purchase a home
- Get my MBA
I had met all of these goals ahead of schedule as well as exceeded them. "Exceeded expectations" happens to also include the following (without limitation):
- Got married
- Got 2 kids
- Got divorced
From a worldly perspective, I can't say if I was either on the fast track to success or failure.
I now have only less than 3 years left before I hit the big 30!!! What are my goals? Quite frankly, I need to get on my knees and ask God for direction. This time, I want my goals to be Christ-centered. One of the goals, by default, is to finish Bible College. Only 3 more semesters to go!!! I still don't know why God moved me to pursue this, but I know that it continues to spark a revival in my heart every week! I'd explain to my kids, "I need it so I can be a better mommy."I don't know about you, but I can't set any goals without first identifying what direction I would like to take. Ultimately, the direction is Heaven-bound, but right now, I'm still here, so...What is my purpose on this Earth? To narrow it down even further:
What is my purpose here in Florida???
I still don't know, and it's been over a year since we had moved from Hawaii. I cannot see what lies up ahead, but at least, I can completely trust that God knows best and that He has a perfect plan for me...He promised!!! It will all make sense in His perfect time, whether it were to occur here on Earth or in eternity. Here's the challenge: to be able to wait on God with hope.
I have to stop bullying God; I have to quit telling Him to "Hurry up!"
Good Bible illustration: Abraham and Sarah waited many years for their promised heir. Their story exemplifies the blessings of waiting and the consequences of running ahead of God. Sarah thought of "helping" God along; as a result, we can still feel the repercussions to this day (Genesis 16:1-6). So, do I really want God to hurry up???
Here's an article worth sharing...
From Becoming a Woman of Purpose, by Cynthia Heald:
Many years ago our family made a major move. Jack, my husband, sold his veterinary practice and we relocated to another city to receive training with The Navigators. For years, I had been leading Bible studies and now that we had moved to learn to do the ministry full time, I thought that I would probably be leading several studies! As time progressed, I began to realize that God was impressing on me to do nothing concerning ministry. I couldn't understand! Here we had left all that we had known for ten years and now that we were in a position to minister, I was to wait. No, Lord, You don't understand--now I'm supposed to teach and meet with women!
Yet very clearly and firmly God began to teach me what it means to wait on Him. As Murray says, God wanted me to "maintain the place of humility and stillness, and surrender." What other way could God encourage me to totally depend on His guidance, His way, His timing? How else could I really learn that my hope was in Him, and not in my abilities?
When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The Israelites did not move until the cloud moved, they waited for God to guide.
This waiting is so essential to comprehending God's purpose for us. It is in waiting that we are able to sense God's prompting to do something or to just keep waiting. I like what Oswald Chambers says:
"The reality of God's presence is not dependent on any place, but only dependent upon the determination to set the Lord always before us...If our common sense decisions are not His order, He will press through them and check; then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence."
It is only in being still before Him that we can sense His presence and direction; it is only in placing our hope in Him that we can wait expectantly.
