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In my all-of-fifteen years of life experience, I have found that God has a plan for every step I take. God is all-knowing; therefore, God knows what you need whether you know it or not. It all comes down to trust. Do you trust God? Would you let everything go for God? I know that's hard to think about, but God really has been there through everything you’ve already done, and He's not going to quit on you now or ever. Believe it or not, He has big plans for you and me.
God will open up doors to you that you’d never imagine could open up to you. That's how powerful God is. God never lets you down. God knows just what you need. You'll find that what you want isn't necessarily the best thing for you, or part of God's plan for you. I certainly have found this true. Sometimes it seems as if you’re riding a roller coaster -- you don't know what kind of turn is coming up until it does. But that's the best part. It means you get to trust God.
The Bible tells us, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Ps. 18:2). You can rely on God for everything -- whether it’s dealing with relationships, school, peer pressure, addictions, body image, or anything else. If you trust in God, you will be open to God's angel voices directing you in the right path.
I recently relied on God to make a decision about my right place. I go to a boarding school in Missouri, which means I only see my family in California four or five times a year. My mother recently asked me if I wanted to go back to the boarding school next year for my sophomore year. I told her I would have to get back to her because I had to think about it. I know that the school I am going to is really good, and I have met many new friends, but I really miss all my family and friends at home. I didn't want to make a decision without thinking it through. I prayed to God asking for direction. I also asked Him for what I need, not just what I wanted, because I knew what I wanted was to go home to my friends, family, and the ocean -- everything that was familiar to me. While I was praying, I realized that I was accepted into my school for a reason. Then I realized that I had been doing really well at my new school and that I had been extremely happy since I started going to my new school. I thought about all the good that had been going on. This is part of the “opening doors” that I was talking about earlier. Over the next couple of days I kept praying, and I found that the desire to go home to all I am used to was shrinking. Sure, I still miss my family and friends at home, but there is something bigger going on, something that God has planned for me right where I am. I just hadn’t seen it yet. I decided to wait and see what God has in store for me.
I have finally found my “right place” at my new school in Missouri. My trust in God to put me in my right place really helped me come to a decision. But it wasn't my decision; it was God's. God knows exactly what I need, and would never make me go through something that would hurt me. Something that helped me come to this decision was the statement, “And the Lord shall help them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him” (Ps. 37: 40). I told my mom that I want to pursue my sophomore year at my new school.
Turning my decisions over to God worked for me, and it can work for you. When you trust in the Lord, you will know exactly what to do, exactly what you need, and will be guided in the right direction. No matter what anyone else tells you to do, it’s important to follow God's plan. I can guarantee it s a better plan than any of your own plans, your friends’ plans, or your family’s plan for you. As the psalmist says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (118:8). |
