To the Girl Who Has Her Future Planned Out

Hey y’all!  Lately I’ve seen a bunch of blog posts popping up with encouragement to young people – most often geared towards high school seniors – who don’t know where they’re heading in life.  This is all well and good, but what about those who know EXACTLY what they want to do?  You may think, Well I guess they don’t need this encouragement then!  Lucky them!  If you fall into the “lucky them” group, than this post is for you!

   For years, I’ve had my life all planned out.  The Lord has given me distinct gifts and I honestly feel that my pathway has been unusually clear compared to others my age.  Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who has experienced this, but I’ve come to realize that there are others, too.  Buried beneath the myriads of teenagers who don’t know what to do with themselves, the planners are alive and well!

   So, to the girl who has life all figured out, I write this.

Planning is a GOOD THING.  

   Want to know a secret?  Sometimes those of us who are confident about our future plans are just as insecure and uneasy as those who are clueless about what lies ahead.  We need encouragement, too!  Sometimes we think our detailed planning is a curse.  Girl, be encouraged: having a vision is not a bad thing.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” – Proverbs 29:18, KJV

God’s ways are higher than your ways.  

   His plan for your life is good and perfect.  Look forward to the future, because God will do far beyond what you could ever imagine.  Isn’t that a breathtaking thought?

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9, KJV

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” – Ephesians 3:20, KJV

Don’t get too comfortable with your plans. 

   When I was 12 years old, I remember talking to a youth leader at my church.  She asked me if I had any plans for the future.  I told her confidently that I hoped to get married and have kids.  She replied, “Okay.  But what happens if you never get married?  What happens if you marry, but never have kids?”  I was taken a bit off-guard!  She asked the tough questions.

   Even if life goes exceptionally similar to how you think it will (ha!), there will always be surprise challenges that you never saw coming.  There’s also the possibility that your life blueprint will rip into fifteen thousand microscopic pieces and half of those bits will be carried away with the wind or eaten by your dog, never to be seen again.  Don’t get too comfortable! ;)

Pray BEFORE you plan.  

   This would be one of my major pitfalls in planning.  Any others relate?  Too often we bring the plans to God instead of letting Him bring the plans to us.  Pray before you plan.  Ask God what He wants you to do!  Start praying before you write your to-do lists, before you say “yes” to someone or something, and before you register for this or that.  You can even start working right now to improve in this area!  What decisions are you making today?  Take time to pray before giving an answer.

Live in the moment.  

   Don’t rush.  Take time to be still.  Slow down and enjoy life.  Instead of pushing towards the future with all your mental muscle, stop and savor each moment.  Don’t try and kill time as fast as you possibly can.  Life here on this earth is short.  I know you can’t wait for what’s ahead, but learn to take advantage of the thousands of opportunities around you to glorify God NOW.

Surrender.

   It comes down to this: you must trust God’s plan for your life.  You must constantly surrender your will to His.  You must get out of the way and let God work.  You must be open to His plans, His changes, and His work in your life.  You must choose to trust.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV

What about YOU?  Do you identify with the clueless category or the planner party?  Please share below!  I’d love to hear what God has taught you on your unique journey!