I’m in a season of waiting. I have plans that I’m attempting to make happen, but I also know plans take time. In this process, I am realizing more and more that waiting isn’t just a passive act, rather it requires a fair share of action as well. It is a fine balance that I am learning to navigate each day — the balance of trust and responsibility. I fully trust that God has good plans for me, but I also know that I have a part to play in it all.
It is a funny thing to balance and the only way I know how to do it is to wake up every morning and ask God what today is supposed to look like. Sometimes it lines up with my plans and sometimes it is completely different than what I was expecting or what I thought was needed for the day. I’m constantly being surprised.
During this time of waiting, It is evident that I don’t know all the details of my life, but I can rest assured that God does! I know what options lay before me and what they appear to be, but God knows the ins and outs. I know what a job looks like on paper, but God knows how it is going to make me feel at the end of a 40 hour work week. I know the potential that lies within me and the desires I have, but God knows how my passions will unfold.
There have been a few times in life when I strongly felt God tell me to sit down and wait on Him to make something happen, but more often than not, my life has been a partnership with God. I am called to show up to my life ready to act. God wants to know what I think, which passions are pulling at my heartstrings, and what opportunities make me smile. He wants me to start moving and trust that He is guiding me along the way.
Each day I am choosing to trust God, but it can still be easy to let worry weasel its way into the equation… What if I don’t hear God clearly? What if I miss an opportunity? What if my plans don’t work out? What if my plans do work out and I’m not happy? What will people think if I don’t succeed? Why do I even care what people think? The list goes on.
Sometimes it feels like worry is the only action we have, but worry is a pretty pointless act. I think Baz Luhrmann and Matthew sum it up quite well…
“Don’t worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubblegum.”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
-Matthew 6:34
There really is no point in worrying. So what actions are left? Trust and show up for life, even in a time of waiting. It is my part to actively trust God and to step forward the best I know how in wisdom and faith.
What are you waiting on right now? Is God asking you to sit back and let Him work or He is wanting to partner with you and encouraging you to make the first move? If it is the latter, move forward with confidence, trusting God, and not allowing worry to be part of the equation.
*I highly recommend listening to this! I’ve listened to it numerous time and it doesn’t get old.