"Be still."
Lately, I have been hearing God telling me “be still, I’ve got this,” but often I have tried to muffle His voice. Who am I to think I can muffle and ignore the king of the universe’s voice? Why is it so hard to let go of control? I find myself striving so hard to have a plan for my life at all times. What will I do tomorrow, next week, next year or in four years? But what I’m missing most is that it is not about me at all. I believe God finds humor in my constant planning, as he knows that my life will look totally and completely different than what I have planned for myself. It will look immensely greater than the plan I have for myself.
When I graduated high school two years ago, I thought I had everything figured out. I had been accepted to the University of Tennessee, my dream school, and earned a spot in the nursing program. I thought life couldn’t get any better and I was going to have the most wonderful four years of my life. However, God has shown me over the past year that UT is not the place for me going forward, and nursing is not my passion like I thought it would be. People often ask me why. My response is that sometimes you just know. God will speak clearly to you if you will be still enough to listen to Him. After a year of learning to be still, I am confident I know exactly what God is telling me to do. Beginning in the fall, I will be following God’s call by transferring to Middle Tennessee State University and changing my major to elementary education. My plan did not pan out, but I’m so glad it didn’t. If my plan continued, I would be missing out on all God has planned for my life. Attending UT taught me to be totally independent and get out of my comfort zone. I believe God led me there for that purpose, just like He has a purpose for the next phase of my life.
God tells us to “be still” or something to the extent of “I’ve got this” several times in scripture. Two of my favorites right now are “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 36:10) and “The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still” (Exodus 14:14). For me, it’s a daily choice to release my control in order for me to totally embrace and enjoy what God has planned for me. Life is hard, college is hard and being still is hard, but at the end of the day God has a perfect plan for my life. I can plan all I want, but God’s plan is going to happen and whether I agree with it at the time or not, it is going to be great. I can choose to be frustrated and stressed when my plan falls apart or I can choose joy. I can choose to be stilland rest in the comfort of God’s control. What a promise: “Be still, I’ve got this.” We don’t have to do anything. We don’t have to worry. We don’t have to plan. We don’t have control, but God does.
So far, college has been nothing likeI expected it to be, but everything God has planned it to be. What a blessing. As I continue to grow and figure out what God is telling me to do going forward, I am being constantly reminded that I must decrease and He must increase. I am learning it’s OK to not know what lies ahead, it’s OK to be in the unknown and there is so much freedom in saying “You know what God? I can’t, but You can.”
