The Unknown

As a child, I dealt with a lot of fear. Throughout my twenty-two years, I have overcome many fears. It has only been by the grace of God that I have overcome them. Although I do not have the kinds of fears I did as a child, I still wrestle with overcoming my "grown-up" fears, such as not knowing what the future will bring.

Sometimes I just don't want to grow up. When life gets stressful, I just want to crawl into my bed, drink hot cocoa, and get lost in a book, one that lets me escape from reality. Often times, I just want to sit down to old cartoons I watched as a kid and eat fishy crackers or doodle my own characters or write my own stories again. Boy, do I miss those days!

Then reality sinks in when I realize I will never be a kid again, and will only continue to grow older. I mean, it's scary to think that in eight years, I will be thirty years old. Sometimes I think about what it would be like to be Peter Pan and never grow up. Recently, I watched Disney's "Inside Out." When Riley's imaginative friend, Bing Bong, disappeared with the other memories, I cried. The second time I watched the movie, I cried again.

 

I kept asking myself why I always cried during this part. I finally realized that it was symbolic of growing up and letting go of childhood. I am not saying that I won't keep the precious memories from my childhood, but I am saying that I have realized that, in order for me to be able to know the next step I need to take, I need to let go of the past. I need to stop turning to the past for my answers, and instead, turn to God, who holds my future.

 

I used to think that I needed to know every single detail of my future. I used to ask God, actually beg God to tell me what my future would be. I have been anxious about my future. I have been anxious to know what plans God has for me after I graduate from college. I have been anxious to know if I am supposed to continue to work where I am working now, or work someplace else, or start my own business. I have been anxious about pretty much everything, which in turn, has made me not want to grow up.

 

Several months ago, my family and I sat down and listened to a teaching by Jentezen Franklin. He was talking about how we need to ask God for the next step instead of asking God to reveal our whole future. The message hit home - hard.

 

Instead of being anxious about my future, I just need to "Let It Go," as in the famous words of Elsa.

 

 

 

Seriously, though, I realized I needed to seek God about the next step I am going to take, instead of asking Him about my whole future. I will never know my whole future. Only God knows. I can, however, ask God to show me the next steps to take so I will be in His will. I am still overcoming this fear of the unknown, but I am learning more and more how to let it go and trust God. After all, He has good plans for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

Now I want to throw the same challenge at you. If you have been struggling with anxious thoughts about your future, let those thoughts go. God doesn't want you to be anxious. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." God wants to give you peace, but you will not be able to obtain that peace if first you do not pray and seek Him.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that His plans may be different than your plans. (Proverbs 16:9) Don't go to Him and ask Him to move you to another state or for that job promotion or to get accepted into that school or to marry that person. Instead, ask God what His will is. Ask Him what step you are supposed to take next. Don't ask Him to show you the future. Ask Him what step you are supposed to take for the future He has planned for you. God is faithful and will answer if you continually seek and ask. Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. For anyone who asks, receives, he who seeks, finds. And to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

 

God has great plans for you! You just have to learn to trust Him!