Young, confused, single: a call to have a fearless trust in the Lord.

"Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:3-4)

If you had asked me when I was in my early teens what my life would look like at 18 I would have been able to tell you a pretty much complete plan. I would have told you that after high school I would go to school in the L.A. area for either interior design or event planning. After I finished school I would have my own apartment in some very trendy, yuppie city in Southern California. I would be successful at my job and make lots of money. I'd have the trendiest clothes and so would all my other successful friends. I would have no need for a boyfriend, because a boyfriend would get in the way of my success, my fun of being young, my popularity, and my fun, fashionable, up on the newest trend lifestyle. Of course there was the possibility I might marry someday, but that absolutely could not be until I was much older. I needed to be young and explore the world on my own.

Those were my desires and that was my plan. Thankfully (praise God!) that He saved me when He did, and has changed those desires completely. I cannot even rightly express my thankfulness to Him.

Here I am, now, at 18 and thankfully my life is nothing like how I wished it would be in my early teens. However, I have to admit the age I am now, and the season of life I'm in at the moment is certainly the most confusing and trying season I have been in yet. It's like, you graduate from high school and all the sudden you are bombarded with countless choices to make, and every day it seems like a new choice, option or possibility is thrown into view. Friends are going off to college to become engineers, dancers, doctors, teachers, etc etc. Then the friends that aren't going off to college seem to be into some new thing every other week; whether it be a new group of friends, a new job, or a new boyfriend. Then I start to think; why don't I know what I'm doing for school? Where is my life going? I live at home, and my desire for my life is to be a wife and mother, what if that never happens? I'm single, what if I'm that way forever? Everything seems to be moving at the speed of light, my head starts to spin in a hundred different directions, and in the moment of sheer panic the only thing I can think is: What in the wide world is going on here? Followed by, "Lord, have mercy please help!!!"

That has been a fairly normal experience in my life lately, and I know I'm not alone in that sort of experience. The problem though lies in how to deal with it, because worrying about the future, and having those fleeting thoughts of sheer panic are not pleasing to God. It's a struggle though, especially with at my age, and in this season of life. I would do well though, and so would anyone who shares in a similiar experience to remember what God's Word says, about all the struggles I mentioned in my example above, to repent of the sin, and then to run what God's Word says about every struggle I'm currently having.

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God." So, in those moments when I am tempted to sheer panic I can pray. I can also address my soul. Martyn Lloyd Jones said it best, "have you realized that most of your unhappiness in your life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself, instead of talking to yourself?" I can address my soul, and what can I address my soul with? Scripture of course (Praise God He has given us His Word). I can remind myself of the truth's of Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose," and Philippians 1:6, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." And Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

Another thing I can do is delight myself in the Lord. I can be content with whatever circumstance I'm in, and I'm not talking about the fake contentment. My dear friend Abby, and I have had many discussions about how well, flat out stupid we can be in having false contentment. We think if we say we're content enough, and put that fake smile on our face that God will see that we're "content" and bless us. Not only is that stupid; but it's completely prideful. GOD IS OMNISCIENT! He knows all things! He knows more about us, than even we do. He knows the depths of our hearts, and is aware of all the sins that we are blind to. So I'm not talking about the fake smile, my life is perfect, type of contentment. I'm talking about, humbly repenting of being discontent & not joyful. Then seeking God's help in delighting in Him! I certainly need His help. I'm dependent on Him, and if I don't recognize that then if I try to pursue being "content" on my own it will be the false contentment. I do have to do something though, we can't expect to be content in the Lord without some effort. I need to humble myself before His Word, pray that I would my view and love of God would be heightened, and that the song, joy, focus of my heart would be Him.

With all this said, I, as well as anyone who relates to this needs to have a fearless trust in the Lord. He is a faithful God. His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and His promises are sure. God does not promise that life will always be easy and simple, but His Word does say that our trials produce endurance and grow our faith (James 1:2). God also does not promise that every girl out there will someday marry, however we can pray for a godly man/future husband, while also keeping in mind that if we are to be single forever that it would be okay, God would be our delight and joy! We can be sure that God is faithful! His plan is perfect, He is working everything together for firstly, His glory, but secondly, our good! And He will continue to sanctify us until we die, or Christ returns! What a faithful God!

A very sweet young mom from my church recently told me, "this time in your life when your young, single, and not going to school fulltime is an amazing time. You could use it in so many amazing ways! You can use it to bless your family, and your church. This is really an incredible time for God to use you to serve Him without distraction, and to bless those around you." That was such an encouragement to me! Though I may not know what next year will look like, let alone next week, this really is an amazing time for me to serve the Lord without distraction! God is faithful, His ordinances and timing are perfect, and I pray that God will give me wisdom in this season of life of how to use my time in a way that is pleasing to Him, and that will bless others! Blogger world if you have any suggestions in how to do this, please do let me know! Blessings!

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

"...Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

For the glory of Christ our great Savior,
Willa