“Our pursuit of God is successful just because he is forever seeking to manifest Himself to us.” A.W. Tozer
I looked directly into my husband’s hazel eyes. “I’m ready to reconsider grad school for you.” His eyebrows raised in surprise and excitement. A river swept beneath us as we hiked over a bridge near Leavenworth, a Bavarian-style town located in the Cascade Mountains. We had come here to get away for the weekend and celebrate our third wedding anniversary
In that moment, the courage to resurrect an old dream of ours came over me.
As our feet followed the windy path beside the river and past mossy boulders, our hearts and minds were being redirected toward a new place. By opening up the conversation about grad school, I made my heart open up to new possibilities for our life.
It would’ve been easy to settle into the current place we lived. My husband’s job was good and paid well. I worked at a dessert shop and enjoyed snapping cute pictures of cake and walking brides through their wedding orders. We lived near family and knew the area well. It seemed like we were ready to snuggle into our comfortable situation and call it “good,” but the Lord was calling us to “better.”
It was so tempting to plug my ears and hum loudly to drown out the gentle whispers God had been speaking to me through the wise words of my mentors. It was time to consider a step forward.
Could I trust that he would “make a way”?
What’s Stopping you?
God called Abraham to leave the land of his forefathers not because Abraham needed a change of pace or was dissatisfied with his situation but because God was going before him. God was writing a story beyond Abraham’s knowledge. A story written throughout the sands of time and sparkling in the stars above.
Abraham was called to a path unknown. And Abraham died not knowing the full complexity of the path God had set him on.
If my husband enrolled in grad school, it would require many sacrifices on my part. It would mean moving away from my family, giving up our beloved rental on the lake, and most importantly, stepping into uncertainty and new territory.
God does not want us to stay static because of fear. He might be calling you toward a big change or it might be a smaller change within your heart. Whether we choose to move across states or to meet our neighbors for the first time, there’s inherent risk in stepping out in faith. What will I find when I get there? Will they slam the door in my face? What’s next?
All our unknowns are completely and fully known by God.
We currently walk along paths pioneered and explored long before we showed up. Before we have the hard conversations and make tough decisions, God has already walked the path.
God has scouted ahead and knows where you’ll end up. We don’t know how much or how little he’ll reveal of the events up ahead, but we can trust he’ll join us.
Who is Waiting for you?
Just like my husband and I walked side by side on our hike through fields of white flowers, carrying packs of water on our sweaty backs, and pausing occasionally to catch our breath or admire God’s handiwork, Jesus witnesses our journeys and walks alongside us.
He’s the perfect guide and gives us courage to make wise and good choices.
He also nudges us back along the right path if we get distracted or stray—willing to leave the ninety-nine to find the one who is lost.
He waits at the trailhead. At the junctions of our lives where we need to make weighty decisions, he’s there. He’s patient, kind, and loving.
He looks us in the eyes and says, “I have good things waiting for you.”
