The Forecast for the Future by Katie Kilgore

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I don’t know about you, but I sure love to know the places, the forecast, the people for which I am headed, for the near future and especially the distant future.  However, we don’t always have the insight to know exactly where we are headed.

I began a new journey about 4 ½ years ago working in a law office.  First, I am not the “sit on my duff” type of worker.  Second, I had never worked in an office other than working for myself as a Realtor.  Third, my grandmother kept referring to me as a “secretary,” which I despised!  I find nothing wrong with secretarial types, it was just not what I preferred to be called.  However, my family needed to eat, my husband had just lost his job and we had to close my dream business in a down-spiraling economy.  We had a 2 ½ year old son and we had to provide for him somehow.  So, a job offer came my way, and I snatched it up, secretary or not, whatever hat I needed to wear.  God knew exactly what He was doing.

I still wonder at times why I am where I am.  But, it’s the little affirmations that the Lord gives to me that allow me a small understanding of His plans for my life.  Just last week, I had the opportunity to speak with an old friend.  I did not know where life had taken her over the past few years, not really anyway, I only knew the good things that she posted on Facebook.  She overheard a conversation that I was having about my job and took that as a chance to open-up with me about the path she had been traveling.  She had to file bankruptcy, the dreaded “B” word and also found herself without a home from foreclosure.  She heard me discussing that I am a legal assistant who works bankruptcy cases and that I find joy in being able to encourage those walking down this dark and lonely path.  I was given the opportunity to listen, cry, hug, and encourage my dear friend at a moment that I was least expecting.  Wow!  The Lord sure did know the plans He had in store for me as a “secretary” and I am so thankful the He does.

Now, I am embarking on another new journey, parenthood for the 2^nd time.  What plan does the Lord have in store for this part of my life?  If only I knew….but, I am trusting that His plans will prove to be “a hope and a future” for my family that only He can ordain.  I can’t wait experience the forecast.

Lord, help me to rest in the fact that YOU know the plans that you have in store for my future.  Whether I know them fully or not, you are in control.  I am thankful for your provisions and your affirmations.

Amen

Matthew 6:34 by Brandi Peters

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

I appreciate that Jesus addressed anxiety because it assures me that I am neither the first nor only to encounter it. It may seem such an ordinary thing, but Jesus thought it worth mentioning.

I struggle with being anxious. Why? Honestly, I like the idea of being in control. I want to take charge of any circumstance. I like to have a schedule and I want to keep it. Surprises of any kind are often a nuisance to me. I perceive myself as having a goal and continuously heading toward it. Perhaps you can relate.

Perhaps you can also relate to my honest admission that the way I’ve just presented myself is inaccurate. I do set schedules and wish to keep them. I am not a fan of surprises. I do have goals and am working toward them. However, my lofty intentions and reality are rarely aligned. I probably waste more time worrying about what I need to do than actually doing it. I tend to get way ahead of myself. I worry about a paper due in 6 weeks or needing to pack to move in 3 months rather than doing what today requires.

The key here is the idea of what is needed today. Every minute I spend worrying about things that may or may not happen in the future, I am squandering the present. This is by no means advocating for the disregard of preparation. I am sure God did not intend for us to be flippant about our responsibilities. Rather, it is about prioritization. I can’t pack my clothes today for my move in 3 months but I can read my weekly assignments and prepare for tomorrow’s classes. Worrying about either of these is not a valid alternative.

Seems simple enough, right? In fact, it must be too simple for me to take at face value. It just won’t sink in. I find that the older I get the more I realize I am in control of so few things. This “loss” creates more anxiety in me. If I cannot influence the outcome of situations or the choices of others, I cannot be sure of the things that will happen to me.

Where does this leave me? In reality, it leaves me right where I started. The only thing that’s changed is my awareness. I was never in control. Not knowing it made it no less true. What then can I do about this?

In my stubbornness I usually try several things that leave me more exhausted and frustrated, knowing all the while I should be turning to Christ. He is the only answer and the core of my heart knows it. Yet, I persist in my striving. I struggle with anxiety over control most often because I am attempting to take responsibility for things that are not my concern. I am attempting to work outside the scope of my position and influence. Inevitably I fail, which leads me back each time to the truth of the matter. I am not in control.

That’s right. I am not in control, but I know the One who is. I belong to Him and trust Him for my future, not only in heaven but in this life. This trust ranges from the biggest issues to the smallest.

Sometimes the best way I can demonstrate this is by simply giving all these racing thoughts to Him, asking that He only bring to mind those concerns He would have me focus on at the time He would have me focus on them. The principle is simple, but the practice is difficult for me. I need reminding. I need a lot of reminding. It is during these times of inner turmoil, when I cannot find calm within myself and am ready to give up that He nudges ever so slightly, prompting me to do as He commanded. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Lord, help us. As your people we desire to follow You, but we are flawed. We put our own shortsighted understanding before Your unfathomable knowledge. In practice, we often want to be like You more than we want to have a relationship with You. Break our hearts over this and bring us back to Your saving grace on a daily basis. Show us how to be still so you can be God in our hearts and lives. Amen.