Breadcrumb Trails
“God works in mysterious ways.”
We have all heard — and probably used — this saying before. Although there is a lot of truth in that statement, I am starting to figure out that He has a particular strategy when it comes to my life.
I tend to be a bit of a dreamer. I like to use my imagination and I like to use it in all aspects of life. As with any personality trait, this can be a blessing but can also cause me a little trouble sometimes. When I get an idea in my head, my imagination takes off and there is no way to slow it down! Whether it’s thinking about organizing my house, planning a trip, or what tattoo to get next; my mind creates the scenario from start to finish. Coming from a self-proclaimed optimist, these scenarios generally don’t have many issues…which can often mean I don’t always plan ahead for setbacks.
Enter God, stage right.
It’s amazing to me that with every human on this planet, God still knows and understands me to my core. I guess its part of that whole omnipresent, all-knowing, creator of the universe thing He’s got going on. Regardless, He knows that I always have my head in the clouds. He made me a creative, optimistic person so I know that He enjoys my vivid imagination, but He also knows that I tend to waste time dreaming of the possibilities of my life instead of acting on them.
God uses the Holy Spirit to speak wisdom and understanding to our hearts. Lately God has been putting a major life change on my heart. Naturally, my mind started racing, creating the ideal scenario. I wanted to know more! What is my next step? Where do I go from there? How is this all going to happen? How soon is it going to happen? All those thoughts happened instantaneously. God gave me an answer to step one, and a glimpse of step two. That’s it. So many questions and ideas left unanswered! (My heart is racing a little faster even typing this!)
This is a great example of yet another reason God is so amazing. Although I (think I) would love to know every detail from start to finish, I also know that I can oftentimes let fear and self-doubt creep in and sabotage me from following God’s plan for my life. I allowed insecurity to rule my life as a teenager and in turn married someone that was not God’s best for me. I allowed fear to keep me in that relationship for years. I have allowed self-doubt to ruin plenty of opportunities. I try not to focus on the opportunities missed during those years; I try to take that as encouragement to make the most of the ones I have now.
From my personal experience, any time I followed the whisper of the Holy Spirit, I have been successful and blessed beyond belief. Not to say that the journey was always easy, but I learned one of the most valuable things we can learn as humans: contentment. Finding joy in suffering. Peace in trials. The success I found was not always the success I anticipated, but it was always better.
This is why I trust God with the next chapter of my life. He is leaving me breadcrumbs to follow. Little by little He has been revealing His plan. Only knowing your next step forces you to rely on faith. As I proceed on this new adventure, I have to trust that He will provide for me, even if the road gets difficult.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25
I haven’t reached the breadcrumb that explains exactly what my purpose is where I am going, but I have that feeling in my heart that there is someone I am supposed to touch or something I am supposed to do there. All I know is about 2 years ago I feel as though I was given a second chance at life: a chance to start over and create the life that God had planned for me — the life that I wanted. If I allow fear to stop me from making this decision, I will be the one to live with the regret and lost opportunities.
I don’t want to be complacent. I want to make a difference. I want to live out the faith I speak so fondly of and be God’s light to the world…wherever He sends me…
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
James 1:22
By Emily Meadows
https://medium.com/@ByBreadcrumbs
