If you asked me what my plans for the future were, I would probably tell you that I wanted to follow God's plan for my life. I feel like I'm beginning to see a bigger picture of what path He wants me to follow and how He wants me to accomplish the plans He has for me in life. This involves finishing/publishing some of my writing, and also, hopefully getting involved in the Christian film industry (such as attempting to start something right where I'm at in Michigan).
I might also talk to you about how I went to school in Virginia, how I love the scenery and atmosphere there, and that I would absolutely love to move there someday.
Now, if you've noticed, the plans I feel God has for me and the plans I would like to have for myself don't exactly go in the same direction. I tried following my own plan for such a long time, although as much as I wanted to move, I could never find the finances to move and couldn't find a job with relocation assistance. No matter how much I had wanted to move, it was never a real possibility. Only recently have I started to realize that God's plans might require me to stay right where I am, but even then, it was hard for me to accept. I'm getting there, but I had to ask God not only to help me accept the fact that He already has me right where He wants me, but also to be okay with it. If I was going to stop dreaming about Virginia, I needed God to help me fall in love with where I was. With His help, I have. Sure, I still like to visit Virginia, but I couldn't imagine trying to find another location to jump into the plans He has for me.
"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
God has a plan for us. We may not always see it, but He definitely does. Maybe you get frustrated because you don't feel like you're doing enough, or you don't feel like you're doing what He's called you to do. Maybe you don't know what He's called you to do.
For years, I thought I had it figured out. I was sure I knew what He wanted me to do, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I wanted to be a professional actress who could be a positive Christian role model for people that liked my work. But I never achieved the goal, and looking back on those years, I can see how God was using that passion to shape me into who I am now. I had taken something that I wanted to do and tried to figure out how I could do it for God. That didn't mean it was His will for me - after all, it was still my path, my dreams, that I was trying to follow.
We could go crazy trying to figure out whether our dreams are a goal He has given us or just something that we really want to happen. As long as we do everything for God, with the single thought of pleasing Him rather than ourselves, I don't think we can go wrong. However, if we don't achieve that dream, perhaps God never meant it to be the ultimate goal, but just for the pursuit of it to be a learning experience.
I wouldn't have ever thought about publishing my writing if I hadn't have failed at trying to be an actress. And maybe writing isn't the ultimate goal, either, but ever since the moment I submitted to God to use what I've been told is a talent, He has given me ideas for so many things to write about that I had to start writing them down so I wouldn't forget any of them. So, for now, this is the path I will follow, and if He has other plans for me, then I have faith that He will lead me in whatever direction He needs for me to do whatever He wants me to do.
If you're not sure whether you're following His path or yours, the first thing to do would be to pray about it. After that, make sure everything you do is for Him and His glory. If you don't know what He's called you to do, find a passion/talent/hobby and pray about how you can use it to bring more glory to God.
God has a plan for us. We just need to live for Him, make our goal to do whatever He wants us to do, and He will lead us in the right direction.
