I have been reading through a devotional called Jesus Calling recently. Each day there is a short reading written as though Jesus is speaking to you. Today "Jesus" told me that He is always with me. There are many reasons why I frequently forget this, but the main reason is worry. When I worry I forget that He is in charge. When I worry I need to simply give my worry to him and then turn my focus to him. He will either solve my problem or show me what I need to do to solve it.
Today this idea surfaced many times. There were many worries in my life that I reevaluated with this new idea.
1) Duke. My new dog is a year old and not meeting my expectations of what I originally expected when we got him. Today I was able to enjoy him because I did not worry about doing everything right but instead trusted that whatever I did would be "worked out for good." (Romans 8:28).
2) Transportation. In the evening, I worried about finding a ride to and from spending time with friends. I knew that everything would work out, but I still worried. I spent most of my time with my friends worrying about a ride home until a solution surfaced. Unfortunately, I missed so many opportunities to have fun and enjoy friends' company before I leave for camp on Sunday.
3) Grades. A few weeks ago I saw my grades from my last semester at school. One of my grades reported an A- that I was sure was supposed to be an A. When I looked individually through the grades, I discovered there was no grade for one of the worksheets. I e-mailed my professor and we were starting to discuss what (if anything) could be done. Before I e-mailed him back, I decided I better check my binder one more time to make sure I did not have the missing worksheet as proof. As I flipped to the back, I saw a glimpse of something familiar and discovered my missing worksheet! I shouted for joy and thanked the Lord. I did not need to worry. God had it under control.
4) Money. This is a common worry for many. I am learning, however, that it does not need to be. Earlier in the year, I had been considering going to Ireland during Spring Break. I didn't know if this was possible with my finances, so I refused to address the situation. Yesterday, however, I received a phone call explaining that I needed to decide within the next couple days or there may not be a trip. I immediately talked to my mom and sister and finalized my decision to go. Before I sent the deposit, however, I looked at my financial situation for next year. It didn't look pretty. It was going to be tight, maybe too tight. I didn't know how it was going to work out, but I sent the $500 anyway, trusting that God would provide a way if it was meant to be.
I made some calculations to determine the amount of money I would need to make and the amount of money that I would need to spend. According to my calculations, I would need approximately $9000 for my spring semester alone, which was simply not possible with my limited income. I accepted the fact that I may have to take out other loans.
But wait, the story doesn't end there; it never ends when you expect it to when God is involved. :) I looked at my computer to more accurately calculate the costs and discovered that I was going to need a whole lot less money than I originally thought. Maybe this was more possible after all! I discovered that I may be able to pay for my fall semester all in one chunk (payment) which would greatly help and would mean that my income for both fall and spring semester could be applied to the now $7000 cost of spring semester.
The Lord is so good to us, but we are so quick to forget his goodness. We are simply children who need guidance and wisdom to navigate a scary and unpredicable world. Think about children you know. Where would they be without loving adults in their lives. That is where we are without Christ. He is there and He is in charge. No need to worry. Daddy's got it under control. Thanks God!
Challenge: Let God be in charge. He has a far greater plan than you do anyway.
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