Tag Archives: future

Goodbyes and the Future

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Saying goodbye to things that you love is hard. Saying goodbye when you don’t know what comes next is even harder. It’s that feeling of the unknown; knowing that God is leading you to the end of something, but hasn’t revealed the next step yet.

This year has been full of goodbyes. Last summer I was part of the last VOICE conference, and was the last V2 graduate. My Grandpa passed away into Jesus’ arms in January after a long struggle with illness. It happened during CI’s in Taiwan, and it was very surreal to balance my feelings of loss about my Grandpa and also my feelings of the impending loss of CI’s, since no one was sure if it would continue after that. In July I left my job of three years, said my goodbyes to Taiwan and cried as the plane left the ground, because I didn’t know if/when I would return to the country and people who had captured my heart. And now, this is my last blog post for the VOICE staff blog.

It feels like I’ve had to let go of a lot of things without having been given their replacements yet, and the future is a great big question mark for me. I don’t know what I’ll do after I graduate from school in a few months, and that feeling is a bit scary. In this season of goodbyes and uncertainty about the future, I’m comforted by this promise from Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV):

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart”: God has proven himself faithful to me over and over throughout my life, and I would be a fool to doubt Him now.

“…and lean not unto thine own understanding.”: Even if my life doesn’t look exactly like I think it should right now, or things aren’t working out the way I want, I have to trust that God’s sovereignty and wisdom is greater than my own. Some of the greatest blessings of my life have come from completely unexpected places; things I would have ignored because *I* did not think they were worthy of my attention. How glad I am that God’s goodness to me is greater than I could ever imagine!

“…In all thy ways acknowledge him…”: When you’re in a period of change, you’re often faced with a lot of big decisions and choices. It’s often really hard to know what decision is the right one, if they all seem equally valid. I’ve been learning the wisdom of acknowledging God’s authority in my life, and ensuring that whatever steps I do take are honoring and glorifying to Him. When I do that, it gives me the confidence that I’m not making decisions based off of my own wants and desires.

“…and he shall direct thy paths.”: I may not know what that path looks like right now, but that’s okay. I trust that the God of the universe who knows my name, finds me worthy and calls me to Him will direct my path in His own timing.

I may not know what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future. So in this season of goodbyes, loss, change and uncertainty, I can cling to the promise of my Father God that He will never leave me or forsake me and that He will use my life to glorify Him, no matter what that life looks like.

Puzzled?

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I’ve always enjoyed putting puzzles together because the bigger the puzzle, the greater the challenge! I’ll confess, I’m not one for suspense. I always had to know what the finished picture was going to look like before I could even begin.

Have you ever played with a puzzle that you pulled out from the archaic pile in the closet, only to come up with 999 of the 1000 pieces? You’re no longer happy that you put together 999 pieces; you’re mad because that 1 piece is missing!

Right now, I’m staring at that almost completed puzzle and am frustrated because I just can’t figure out where that last piece is, or even what the finished picture will look like. It’s missing an important piece – and one I’d rather have in my little box so I can finish my puzzle. I mean, I have things to do, people to see, a life to live, right?! Why does God have me sitting here staring at a blank hole in the picture, with a huge question mark in it’s place?

Because instead of a ‘?‘ I’m beginning to see the true attributes of WHO God is, based solely on just that – Who He is. It is easy to come to a realization of who God is by what He gives; but, what if He takes? Where do you stand if you’re relying on those gifts to shape who God is to you, and they crumble under your feet?

Jesus + Nothing = Everything.

Even though it looks like there is a piece missing – my picture has already been completed because it is Jesus who holds that piece. He’s the Author & Finisher of my Faith with the timing of completion totally up to Him; and one glorious day we’ll all be able to see our finished pictures. Won’t that be wonderful?

Jeremiah 29:11 says 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.