Trusting in God's plan.... What exactly does that mean? Does it mean that we have no say in what happens in our lives? No. Does it mean that we will always be happy with what happens? Absolutely not. Does it mean that we are powerless to control the outcome of any situation? No. Trusting in God's plan can mean so many different things. Sometimes it's easy, but sometimes it's the most difficult thing we have been called on to do. Personally, I have experienced it in many different situations at different times in my life. I may not be 100% correct about what it means to trust in His plan, but I'd like to share what I've arrived at after being faced with several situations back-to-back that left me with no choice but to trust Him.
We have been bombarded the last 6 months with difficult situations: Matt's health, Matt's employment, Ashley, Matt's family, Chelsea's health, my job, and now our pastor at church getting reassigned despite great efforts to keep him by many of our members. (If you've followed this blog at all, you know about all of these except our pastor. However, the rumor mill is responsible for fueling a lot of that fire, so I really don't want to make that the focus of this particular blog post.) In every one of these situations, I got to a point where all I could do was look to God and say, "I trust You!" By doing that, I was never giving up hope or relinquishing my responsibility to do my part. I have had to learn what it means to TRULY trust God in all situations, and it was (and continues to be) far from easy.
All of us have an agenda for our lives. Maybe it's what we are doing today. Maybe it's what we're doing for the next 20 years. But we all have an agenda. I know Matt and I thought we had the rest of our lives mapped out until about 6 months ago. But, God also has an agenda for us. Sometimes, our agenda and His match up. That's when it's easy. That's when we're happy. But, sometimes we want something different for ourselves that what He wants for us. This is when it becomes difficult. We absolutely have the power to keep forcing our own will in our lives to make things happen the way we want them to. We can ignore the subtle messages He sends us from day to day that let us know He really wants us going a different direction. Most of the time, we can actually get what we want by doing this. But, when we exert our own will over God's will, we are, in essence, saying to Him, "Lord, I don't trust you at all, so I'm doing it my way."
What I have learned though, is that my way is not always the best way. For me, trusting His plan means that I know in my heart that He wants what is best for me, whether I agree with it or not. If He is pulling me in a direction I'm not really comfortable with, or even completely opposed to, I have to trust that putting my efforts into making His plan work is exactly what I need to do. I have to find a sense of peace about what is happening around me, and I have to have faith in the fact He has blessings waiting for me on the other side.
Don't get me wrong, there have been many times that I was NOT happy with how His plan unfolded (especially today). I DO get upset and angry about many things that happen in my life. Trusting God does not mean that you are not human. Trusting God does not mean that you are always happy. But, it does mean that in EVERY situation, you move forward thoughtfully and prayerfully and do what He is calling you to do.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6
I do want to close by saying that I personally want to wish our pastor nothing but the best in his future endeavors. I pray that God blesses him and his family in ways not one could ever expect or comprehend. He has touched our lives in so many ways, and he will be deeply missed!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Gossip Train
So, I've really been thinking a lot about something lately. Why do people in general find so much pleasure in talking about other people? I know you have noticed that. Practically everyone does it. Sometimes it it harmless...simply discussing things we've seen or done with others. But, more often than not, it is full blown gossip. When we hear something, we run and tell someone else, especially if the we've heard something "newsworthy." The problem with this is that SO many people get hurt because of things that are said, especially when those things aren't true.
Recently, I've been involved (in one way or another) in three different situations where gossip was running rampant. Two of these situations aren't really things I want to go into detail about, but I can tell you that the rumors that were circulating were extremely hurtful, damaging, and potentially life-altering for the people whose lives were being put on display. The third situation is the rumor mill at school. The old saying, "telegram, telephone, tell-a-teacher" is SO true!! And, this time of year is always the worst! Everyone is specualting about who is leaving, who is staying, and who is changing grades. It's no secret anymore that I've applied for a transfer to another school. It has also become common knowledge that I had an interview last week at a school closer to home. And, although it hasn't gotten back to me yet, it's probably now also well known that I did not get offered that position. All three of these things are factual, so (at least to my knowledge) there aren't any false rumors about me going around. But, I was really amazed at how quickly the news spread. Yes, I told a handful of people what my plans were. So, I am fine with them knowing. That's why I told them. But when people who I almost never see and rarely talk to are asking my student teacher, "Did Stephanie hear if she got that job yet?" I was really bothered.
First of all, it's my business to tell, not someone else's. It's not that I don't want people to know. It's just that I would like to have some level of control over who knows the in's and out's of what's going on in my life. Secondly, gossip that starts out as the truth never stays that way. It always mutates and almost takes on a life of its own. At some point, the rumor mill will be spreading information that is not true at all, if that hasn't happened already. It just doesn't feel good to know that people are talking about you behind your back.
Now...I will be the first to admit that I have been guilty of this myself. But, I will also tell you that I have really been making a concious effort to avoid it. If someone tells me something in confidence, I tell no one. If I hear information second hand, I don't pass it along. If I hear something straight from the source, and the source is OK with me sharing it, I will if I am asked. But, I really try not to go running around telling everyone I see everything I hear. It just isn't right.
I guess I just wish everyone would be a little more aware of who they might be hurting with what they are saying. We teach our students to differentiate between fact and opinion, fantasy and reality. We teach our children that "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." So, my question is....
If we can teach our students and children these lessons, why do we have such a hard time with them ourselves???
The bottom line is, I don't get bogged down in what people are saying about me. I know who I am and what I stand for. I know what is going on in my life and I make sure the people close to me know as well. I know that my God sees me for who I am, and He NEVER joins a gossip train or rumor mill! His opinion is #1, my family's is #2, and my friends' is #3. Anyone else's opinion, quite franlky, just doesn't matter.
A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. ~Proverbs 16:28
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~Ephesians 4:29
Recently, I've been involved (in one way or another) in three different situations where gossip was running rampant. Two of these situations aren't really things I want to go into detail about, but I can tell you that the rumors that were circulating were extremely hurtful, damaging, and potentially life-altering for the people whose lives were being put on display. The third situation is the rumor mill at school. The old saying, "telegram, telephone, tell-a-teacher" is SO true!! And, this time of year is always the worst! Everyone is specualting about who is leaving, who is staying, and who is changing grades. It's no secret anymore that I've applied for a transfer to another school. It has also become common knowledge that I had an interview last week at a school closer to home. And, although it hasn't gotten back to me yet, it's probably now also well known that I did not get offered that position. All three of these things are factual, so (at least to my knowledge) there aren't any false rumors about me going around. But, I was really amazed at how quickly the news spread. Yes, I told a handful of people what my plans were. So, I am fine with them knowing. That's why I told them. But when people who I almost never see and rarely talk to are asking my student teacher, "Did Stephanie hear if she got that job yet?" I was really bothered.
First of all, it's my business to tell, not someone else's. It's not that I don't want people to know. It's just that I would like to have some level of control over who knows the in's and out's of what's going on in my life. Secondly, gossip that starts out as the truth never stays that way. It always mutates and almost takes on a life of its own. At some point, the rumor mill will be spreading information that is not true at all, if that hasn't happened already. It just doesn't feel good to know that people are talking about you behind your back.
Now...I will be the first to admit that I have been guilty of this myself. But, I will also tell you that I have really been making a concious effort to avoid it. If someone tells me something in confidence, I tell no one. If I hear information second hand, I don't pass it along. If I hear something straight from the source, and the source is OK with me sharing it, I will if I am asked. But, I really try not to go running around telling everyone I see everything I hear. It just isn't right.
I guess I just wish everyone would be a little more aware of who they might be hurting with what they are saying. We teach our students to differentiate between fact and opinion, fantasy and reality. We teach our children that "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." So, my question is....
If we can teach our students and children these lessons, why do we have such a hard time with them ourselves???
The bottom line is, I don't get bogged down in what people are saying about me. I know who I am and what I stand for. I know what is going on in my life and I make sure the people close to me know as well. I know that my God sees me for who I am, and He NEVER joins a gossip train or rumor mill! His opinion is #1, my family's is #2, and my friends' is #3. Anyone else's opinion, quite franlky, just doesn't matter.
A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. ~Proverbs 16:28
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~Ephesians 4:29
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