The "I Want" Vs. "Your Will" Statement

On Wednesday morning I logged into my e-mail account to view my morning e-mails.  Many of them were “junk” e-mails; forward this to this many people if you want something good to happen to you, check out this great new deal on this and this, and so forth.  To be honest, I delete a lot of them without even opening them at all.  But there it sat…my daily devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries.  The title was Unfolding and it was by one of my favorite P31 speakers and writers, Amy Carroll.  I have to admit, I was in a hurry to do something for work and I debated about whether or not to read it right then. 

I could just save it for later.  It’ll still be there when I get back.  When I have more time, I’ll read it then.  These are often the thoughts that run through my mind when I’m anxiously and quickly tearing through my inbox to see what e-mails I have in the mornings.  But this time I didn’t make excuses.  I opened it and I simply started letting Amy’s words unfold in my heart. 

When I started this blogging journey not too long ago (almost two months ago now!) I have to be honest when I say that I really didn’t think it would go anywhere.  I know that probably sounds negative, but I guess I didn’t see the impact that it would already have in such a short time frame.  I didn’t think I would log in one day to find that someone in South Africa and Russia had viewed my blog.  (Whoever you are, thank you for stopping by!) and I just truly have been humbled by the acceptance from others that I have gotten on this inspirational blog. 

My point in writing about this today (bet you were thinking, where is she going with all this?!) is to tell you that the reason Amy Carroll’s devotional touched me so dearly on that chilly Wednesday morning is because I am smack dab in the middle of feeling lost in translation of what God has called me to do, and I thought by chance that one of you out there might be too.  Let me clarify what I mean by being lost in translation. 

I know or let’s say I feel strongly that I know what God has called me to do.  I want to write, speak, and minister to young girls and women.  I want to make an impact on the issue of human trafficking.  I want to write a book one day.  I want to make this ministry a true priority in my life.  I want. I want. I want. And I want it to happen now.  But as I read Amy’s words, I began to realize how perfect God and His beautiful timing is.  The other day I said to someone that I wished I would have realized this calling a long time ago so that I could be further along in my writing and speaking ministry than I was now.  And Why?  Why hadn't God lead me into this sooner? 

But oh how He has perfect timing!  I should have gotten my degree in something other than social work if this was my true calling, I should have gotten a degree in English or writing. I thought to myself.  But friends, everything that I have done in my life up to this point has helped me grow into my ultimate calling.  I’ve been able to meet so many people at my job, have and will continue to get some great experiences leading groups with some wonderful (and sometimes rowdy!) teenagers (gotta love those groups!), and it has allowed me to be able to mold some skills that I know will help me in my ministry. 

Amy writes about this too.  She writes about the time she felt like she was wasting not related to her calling of writing and speaking, but friends it’s all related!  Everything we do and everything that God plans out for our lives is ultimately related to our true calling because our true calling as followers of Jesus is to expand and nurture the kingdom of God by helping bring others into it.  We will all be called to do something.  Whether it’s on a smaller or larger scale, we’re all called in a unique and special way. 

So time that I might of saw as wasted and not relevant isn’t that at all, it’s a time for growth and preparedness.  It’s a time for study and prayer.  A time to learn from others.  It’s a time to use each and every situation and opportunity as a test run for our ultimate call.

You’ll notice that earlier I used a lot of I want statements. One scary fact that I’ve had to face is that what I want might not necessarily be what God has planned or what He wants for my life.  Maybe what He has planned for me is not books written or thousands of young women ministered to.  Maybe He has other plans for my life, and that is something that is both difficult and exciting to accept.  What we have difficulty understanding sometimes is that we can’t dream big enough for what God has in store for us. 

If you’re like me and you’re struggling with trying to understand your calling or the timeline of things in your life, know that you’re not alone.  We all feel lost in translation sometimes, but the ultimate director will lead us down the path we are meant to go down if we have a personal relationship with Him. 

So today friends, if you’re not sure why God has placed you in whatever situation you’re in today, or why you haven’t reached a certain goal in your life yet, trust in His always perfect timing.  He’s preparing you for the journey ahead.  He hasn’t placed certain opportunities in front of me yet because I’m not prepared for them….yet.  In His perfect timing I will be, and so will you.  Isn't that exciting?!  Let's stand strong in our faith that God has a great plan laid out for our lives.  Let's turn our "I want" statements into "Your will" statements. 

Dear Heavenly Father, you’ve placed a special calling inside each of our hearts and we trust in your perfect timing of it all.  Sometimes we struggle with our wants and we want things to happen on our timeline; forgetting that you are in control of it all.  Turn our “I want” statements into “your will” statements.  Thank you for loving us through our times of trust and mistrust in your plan. 
In Jesus name, Amen.

Blessings,
Amanda 

Check our Amy's blog for more inspirational entries!  She's awesome!

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