What’s Next?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Something is up with my comfort zone. It appears that God would like me to step out of it a little bit, or heaven help me a lot. It’s a subtle thing but it has been going on for months. When it began I thought it would be immediate. It wasn’t. I’ve been thinking in terms of missionaries, a role I’ve never felt called to take. I can’t tell that isn’t it for sure, but at this point, I don’t think it is.
We read about Abraham, Moses, the rich young ruler, Saul/Paul and so many others in the Bible and we see that God’s call maybe a still small voice or it may not. Sometimes it’s more like, “Hey you! Yeah, you, I’m speaking to you. What you can’t hear me? Okay then.” And bam! The not so talented listeners find themselves under horses, facing burning bushes or worse, facing their own faults and fears. Can they hear God then? Oh yeah! So here I am, in the subtle nudge phase of the transition out of my comfort zone and wondering what’s next.
The words “what’s next” remind me of a little boy in our class. He is a great little kid with a personality that is much bigger than his body. Every so often, very often, too often, he asks us, “what’s next?” It isn’t that he doesn’t want to do what we’re asking of him now; he just wants to know the future. He arrived in our class right at the beginning of the shakeup of my comfort zone. “What’s next?” is cute at first, but after a day or two gets really old! I think, kid, we do basically the same thing every day. When there’s a big change we’ll let you know. Oh! Is that what God is saying to me? “Tricia, I’ve been leading you all of your life, even when you were ignoring me. Now, relax, trust me and learn from the subtle nudges because yes, change is coming.”
God wastes no effort. I have no idea what my future holds. What I do know is that in the past several months I have gone places I didn’t want to go, endured uncomfortable situations, had conversations I didn’t want to have, accepted blessings with plenty of unknown factors involved and all the while, yearned to do something more for my Abba. Put all that together and what do you get? I have no idea. All I know is that God is sovereign and I want to do what He wants me to do.
God is not in the fortune cookie business. He does not hand me little clues written on pieces of paper to tell me what’s next. He gives plenty of indication that things are changing but no clues as to how. My choice is this, ignore Him and stay comfortable or delight in His way and be blessed. The latter choice is harder and may not be, most likely will not be, a comfy place but that is okay. My God is for me so I have no reason to fear.
Something is up with my comfort zone. It appears that God would like me to step out of it a little bit, or heaven help me a lot. It’s a subtle thing but it has been going on for months. When it began I thought it would be immediate. It wasn’t. I’ve been thinking in terms of missionaries, a role I’ve never felt called to take. I can’t tell that isn’t it for sure, but at this point, I don’t think it is.
We read about Abraham, Moses, the rich young ruler, Saul/Paul and so many others in the Bible and we see that God’s call maybe a still small voice or it may not. Sometimes it’s more like, “Hey you! Yeah, you, I’m speaking to you. What you can’t hear me? Okay then.” And bam! The not so talented listeners find themselves under horses, facing burning bushes or worse, facing their own faults and fears. Can they hear God then? Oh yeah! So here I am, in the subtle nudge phase of the transition out of my comfort zone and wondering what’s next.
The words “what’s next” remind me of a little boy in our class. He is a great little kid with a personality that is much bigger than his body. Every so often, very often, too often, he asks us, “what’s next?” It isn’t that he doesn’t want to do what we’re asking of him now; he just wants to know the future. He arrived in our class right at the beginning of the shakeup of my comfort zone. “What’s next?” is cute at first, but after a day or two gets really old! I think, kid, we do basically the same thing every day. When there’s a big change we’ll let you know. Oh! Is that what God is saying to me? “Tricia, I’ve been leading you all of your life, even when you were ignoring me. Now, relax, trust me and learn from the subtle nudges because yes, change is coming.”
God wastes no effort. I have no idea what my future holds. What I do know is that in the past several months I have gone places I didn’t want to go, endured uncomfortable situations, had conversations I didn’t want to have, accepted blessings with plenty of unknown factors involved and all the while, yearned to do something more for my Abba. Put all that together and what do you get? I have no idea. All I know is that God is sovereign and I want to do what He wants me to do.
God is not in the fortune cookie business. He does not hand me little clues written on pieces of paper to tell me what’s next. He gives plenty of indication that things are changing but no clues as to how. My choice is this, ignore Him and stay comfortable or delight in His way and be blessed. The latter choice is harder and may not be, most likely will not be, a comfy place but that is okay. My God is for me so I have no reason to fear.
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