My Plan < God’s Purpose
“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place…like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”
Azar Nafisi
As the months wind down to weeks and then to days, I can’t help but feel as though this year, along with my college career, has flown by once again. Grown ups always said time would move fast, but I guess you never really know what someone is talking about unless you’re actually living it. I’m living it now. With graduation quickly approaching, I’m reminded of so many things. I think about how sad I felt as I hugged my family goodbye when they dropped me off at Manning. I’m left with the excitement of the many football games attended as a student. I feel (hold your breath) gratitude for the stress from all the late nights that never really ended. I can remember the pride I felt as I put on my Clemson ring, hoping to never take it off. All the excitement, disappointment, fear, and appreciation I’ve felt these past four years are immeasurable. It’s been an amazing ride and I feel an impending emptiness will take over in just a few short months. The thought of leaving such a place as Clemson strikes a chord of fear, but this is not nearly as scary as the dreaded “so what are your plans after graduation” question.
I seem to hear this question much more frequently as of late. It’s not necessarily the question that makes you want to run for the hills, as it’s the thought that you must have some semblance of an idea of what to do with your life. I would say I’m a pretty laid back person; I don’t mind going with the flow. However, when it comes to my future, I always have some type of plan: go to college, then to medical school, become a surgeon, get married, have kids, and grow old. Seems like a pretty simple plan. Not exactly. In my mind, as with many others, these plans come with deadlines. But what’s so hard for us to understand is that plans change and this is not the end of the world. We become disappointed or heartbroken. We label ourselves failures and think we need to have it all together. The reality of the situation, and something I have had to put a lot of faith into lately, is that ours plans don’t matter-God’s do.
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
God created each and every one of us, making us beautiful in His own image. He loves us all more than we can fathom, so of course He has a special purpose for each of us. It’s hard not being able to know the future; not knowing what will work out and when we should find a new dream. But it can sometimes feel like a weight is being lifted. It means you just might not have to have everything all figured out. I know it’s hard to not have a plan, but that’s where faith comes in. You just have to trust that God’s plan is better than we could possibly imagine. I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m saying it is worth it. I’ve been shown time and time again that God’s plan is exceptionally greater than any other. Sometimes living in the moment is the way to go, but it’s always better to rely on God. This isn’t to say don’t have any plans. Life goals are something we should strive to accomplish. However, we shouldn’t get consumed with what our kids names will be and on what street we will reside. Remember that we serve an almighty God who cares deeply for us and will never let us down. So next time you hear that cringe-worthy question, don’t panic! You might not know the answer, but God does and they will be the perfect plans at just the right time!