So I was thinking the other day while driving in my car about how it seems in life we are always waiting for the next big event. Jeremiah and I talk a lot about our adoption and how we can't wait until we can get our children, but we also talk about how we want to make the most of the time that we have while it's just the two of us. Are we excited for what God has in store for this next big step in our lives? Absolutely! Are we going to focus so much on what's to come that we forget about what God wants us to be doing right now, today? I hope not!
See, we have wanted children for a long time now. And I have to admit that there were times in my life where the thought of having kids consumed me. It was something that I longed for so much that I was missing out on what God had for me right there in that moment. In so many ways I am glad that I went through that time in my life. I think that I appreciate all that I have more and when we get our children I will realize even more what a gift from God they are. But when I think back on that time in my life I realize that I missed out on so much because I was so focused on the future and what was down the road for me. I missed out on so many opportunities that God had right in front of me because my focus was down the road.
So you might be wondering why I'm sharing all of this. I think that in your late teens and early twenties your life gets so focused on your future. Don't get me wrong, seeking God in your future plans is an incredibly important thing to do. But sometimes I think that you can focus so much on things like what job you are going to get, who you're going to marry, having kids, making a lot of money that you forget that God wants to do something in you and with you right now. I think that our society puts so much pressure on success. For men I think there is a huge amount of pressure to be successful in your job and to make a lot of money. For girls I think that you get a lot of those same pressures but you also get more pressure to get married and have kids. I spent a long time feeling out of place because most of the women in my life had children, I felt like I wasn't all that I was suppose to be because we didn't have kids. I have friends my age that are still single and have had constant pressure to feel like they aren't who they should be unless they are married.
My thought in this whole thing is as you focus on your future plans don't forget about the here and now. This time in your life is so unique, a time that God can use you to do things that you will not be able to do once you have a career, get married, have kids. Be open to what God is calling you to do today to make a difference. Maybe it's an unpaid internship that you've been thinking about taking even though it doesn't make much sense financially. Maybe it's spending your summer in Africa or Haiti, loving people that are so desperate for love. Maybe it's loving that roommate that gets on your nerves every day. Maybe it's simply living a life that brings glory to God and when people look at you they see evidence of God working in your life. Think about it, pray about it. Don't just let God lead your future, let Him lead you today.
See, we have wanted children for a long time now. And I have to admit that there were times in my life where the thought of having kids consumed me. It was something that I longed for so much that I was missing out on what God had for me right there in that moment. In so many ways I am glad that I went through that time in my life. I think that I appreciate all that I have more and when we get our children I will realize even more what a gift from God they are. But when I think back on that time in my life I realize that I missed out on so much because I was so focused on the future and what was down the road for me. I missed out on so many opportunities that God had right in front of me because my focus was down the road.
So you might be wondering why I'm sharing all of this. I think that in your late teens and early twenties your life gets so focused on your future. Don't get me wrong, seeking God in your future plans is an incredibly important thing to do. But sometimes I think that you can focus so much on things like what job you are going to get, who you're going to marry, having kids, making a lot of money that you forget that God wants to do something in you and with you right now. I think that our society puts so much pressure on success. For men I think there is a huge amount of pressure to be successful in your job and to make a lot of money. For girls I think that you get a lot of those same pressures but you also get more pressure to get married and have kids. I spent a long time feeling out of place because most of the women in my life had children, I felt like I wasn't all that I was suppose to be because we didn't have kids. I have friends my age that are still single and have had constant pressure to feel like they aren't who they should be unless they are married.
My thought in this whole thing is as you focus on your future plans don't forget about the here and now. This time in your life is so unique, a time that God can use you to do things that you will not be able to do once you have a career, get married, have kids. Be open to what God is calling you to do today to make a difference. Maybe it's an unpaid internship that you've been thinking about taking even though it doesn't make much sense financially. Maybe it's spending your summer in Africa or Haiti, loving people that are so desperate for love. Maybe it's loving that roommate that gets on your nerves every day. Maybe it's simply living a life that brings glory to God and when people look at you they see evidence of God working in your life. Think about it, pray about it. Don't just let God lead your future, let Him lead you today.
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February 7, 2010 at 11:11 PM
thanks erin. i needed to hear this.. with finishing up in june and applying for jobs and all of that, that's exactly where my mind has been... so thanks for the wake up call :]
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