Be encouraged. (Part I)

God has even greater plans for you than you could ever imagine.

I don't remember the original source of this paraphrased quote, but I think it was some incredibly wise friend of mine. Whatever the source, I do know that I've been blessed to be able to share this encouragement with several people over the last couple weeks of this semester.  It's also been a wonderful, constant reminder for me when I'm struggling to determine what God's calling me to do in the future or who He's calling me to be with or where He's calling me to live someday.

Most of the people I've been able to share this beautiful wisdom with have been struggling with the same things.  Relationships, career paths, and simply figuring out how to best serve God with their lives--it's beautiful, really. I get to see my friends wrestling over how to BEST serve God.  They've already made the life-changing, glorious decision to serve Him, and now I've had the opportunity to encourage them as they try to do that best.  It makes my heart so incredibly happy to see this.

So let's look at that advice because well, if you're reading this, I bet there are some unknowns in your life that you'd love to figure out, too.  Although you may not know the answers to those questions by the end of this post, I hope you can find a little more peace and see a little more magnificent beauty in the decisions and mysteries of life.

First and foremost, I want to blow any wrong idea that you might have out of the water.  By sharing this encouragement, I do not mean that everyone should simply sit back, go after nothing, and forget about any dreams and goals they may have because God will just turn your life into something great.  That last part is right--if you're walking in Him, He's going to form your life into something truly glorifying to Him.  However, I'll eagerly argue that pursuing the beautiful opportunities and using the blessings and gifts He provides us with is one of the most beautiful ways to express our gratitude and ultimately glorify our Creator and Sustainer.

Second, I think you may understand what I'm trying to say if you look at encouragement as a response to discouragement.  I think that this piece of encouragement comes into play most when someone is discouraged.  Here's how I came to that conclusion...

For me, I first received this encouragement after a recent breakup.  Once I pulled my head out of the clouds I'd been floating in in that relationship, I realized that by pursuing one guy for over a year, I had simultaneously chased away any Godly male friendships I had.  Because I go to Dordt and am also simply at the age where relationships are simply a huge and central part of life, I struggled quite a bit with being single once it finally sunk in.  I'd spend time with my roommates and their boyfriends and celebrate with my friends and the sparkly new rings on their fingers, but it simply wasn't the same without any of that happening in my own life.

And then I met some great Godly brothers at Dordt and life seemed to be changing.  I wasn't dating any of the guys; it's nothing romantic like that at all.  Instead, these guys share some great wisdom with me and constantly challenge me spiritually, and I love it.  I soak it up.  And in these last couple weeks, it's suddenly donned on me that I've never had guy friends like them.  I want to marry a guy as spiritually on fire and Christianly kind as those guys.  I want to surround myself with a church body full of solid, Godly men like them.

Then I go for coffee.. three coffee dates in one week.. with different sisters in Christ on campus.  All but one of these girls are seniors.  They excitedly tell me about their job opportunities and enriching summer plans, and I'm jealous.  I want to go with them.  I want to move on with life, but even more that that, I want to keep getting to know them.  I want to keep learning from them.

So that's the huge problem here.  In the words I used earlier, that's my "discouragement" that I'm experiencing.  Of all of these new friendships I've been building, most of them are graduating, others off-campus next semester, and summer is a mere week away.  All of these people will be walking out of my life for at least the next three months, if not more.  And that is so incredibly discouraging to me.

What do I do with that?  I'm struggling to find belonging and longing to build friendships with Godly men and women.  Just when it seems like God brings those people into my life when I need them most, He strips them away.

I cry out in anger and confusion and wonder, "Why, God? Why? I need them! I'm discouraged right now, can't you see that?  Why would you take them from me at the time I need them most?"

And in the silent moments following my angry thoughts, God's peace overwhelms me, and I'm thrown to my knees as I'm convicted of my selfishness.  I need them?  Why would He take them from me at the time I need them most?

Oh heck, no.  I am so wrong.  I don't need them.  They don't need me.  And I certainly do not own them.  I need God.  I need God alone.  God, I need You.

And that's when that encouragement kicks in.  God has even greater plans for me.  Do you see the connection?  I think these people will complete me.  I think they're the exact people I'm looking for to make my life full and rich.

But I'm wrong.  I'm so ridiculously off.  These people are awesome, yes.  They're all wonderful, and I'm so happy that they are able to fill this chapter of my life.  But as these brothers and sisters begin new chapters in their lives, I need to realize that they're only a small part of the beautiful life God has planned for me.  Because although I might imagine that they would be the kinds of people that will walk beside me for the rest of my life, I really have absolutely no idea.

What I can be certain of, what I can be confident in, and what I can find everlasting hope in is the truth that God will always be a part of my life.  Through every chapter of my life, He will remain with me, beside me, and forever a part of me.  And in the same way, He calls me to remain in Him. "Abide in me, and I in you." (John 15:4--please check out the rest of that chapter; it's simply wonderful.)

Yes, I realize I didn't connect "God having even greater plans for me" to this whole thing yet.  But this post has gotten long enough, you're just going to have to wait for another one for that.