Joy and Gratitude

I am full of joy and gratitude when I think about how The Lord has been working in my life. As a student at Olivet one of the greatest pressures is to be dating and to get married. Throughout my years here that is something that I have been overwhelmed by. I thought that like everyone else my story would include meeting a guy here and getting married shortly after college. While that is what I thought I wanted, I really grew discontent. I look back now and am so greatful, I am at a place where I feel like I can finally look at the situation and see how good it really was and how much I grew and learned from it.

God has put numerous people in my life for me to learn from. He has given me friends who challenge me and who make me think. He has put many people in my life for me to invest in and mentor. He has restored many broken relationships in my life. He has given me the opportunity to work for an awesome organization where I get to travel and work all summer. He has given me this Resident Director position where I get to pour into the lives of college women. I have grown to love being single. To love being able to connect and encourage others in that. To be able to focus on all those around me and not be distracted. To be able to care for others in a way I know I couldn't if I was dating or married. To be free to pursue whatever career I feel the Lord calling me to and to go wherever it is I hear him leading me without another's opinion. To grow more in love with Jesus each and every day.

Right now I am not working. I'm hoping to start substitute teaching. I hope this opportunity will help me to see and experience something else I could see myself doing. I'm still trying to figure out what career path God wants me to be on. Right now there is nothing that I can clearly see, but I am looking forward to what doors He is going to open. I am learning to wake up each day and ask God how He wants me to spend today. I am just trying to trust more and to listen more to His voice and His leading. If someone asks me what my long term dream job is I honestly don't know, and I don't feel like I have to know. I want to be where God wants me to be when He wants me to be there. I am learning to find my security in the Lord and His plans for me and not in a full time job and the security that comes from that.

I am eager and anticipating God continuing to move in awesome ways. He has showed me over and over again how faithful He is and how much He cares and loves me. I never want to overlook that.