I’ve been thinking a lot lately about time: how I am using my time and if I am maximizing the usable time I have. I find myself in a hurry to have it all planned and figured out; and not just my entire day and week, but my whole life. Although I just graduated and got into the “real world,” my mind is constantly saying “You should be working at least 50 hours/week and $22/hr or at least _____ amount a year.” It has me going crazy! I see others my age getting married, having kids, and buying their own homes and I question “what have I done wrong? Why am I so far behind?”
Comparison is truly a monster; one that we all get caught up in too often. We know how it makes us feel and yet we automatically compare every part of our life to those that we believe should be in the same place we are; and when they are not, we become disappointed.
We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn’t come naturally. It’s a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.
Charles Swindoll
I recently started reading Tim Tebow’s book “Shaken,” (I know, I know.. Im behind haha) but it seems that God led me to this book at this point in my life for a reason. Tim talks a lot about his struggles and challenges of being cut, switching teams, etc. Through it all he kept reminding himself that God had a plan for him. All the negative had him questioning if football really was the right path for him; however, when he took the time to quiet his mind- he always heard God telling him to trust and believe in what God had prepared for him.
My favorite quote from the book is
We are all like clay pots on the potter’s wheel, our faith being crafted and shaped by God. This process is not easy. We are kneaded, shaped, molded, and flexed. Sometimes the end result isn’t so great, so we need more kneading, shaping, molding, and flexing. We are human, after all. We’ll never reach perfection in this life. The point is to have our faith stretched and challenged and growing so we can show the world how many times we get knocked down or fall short, we can still hold on to God’s promises.
So while I may think I am behind where I should be and question if I am doing what I am suppose to be doing, I have to have faith that God has a plan and purpose for me. There is no deadline. No matter what society tells us
- you DO NOT have to go to college right after high school– you Do NOT even have to go to college at all
- you DO NOT have to be married by the time you are 25
- you DO NOT have to have children by the time you are 27
- you DO NOT have to be working over 40hr/weeks in order to be a successful adult
I have faith that I am on the right path. It is like God knows when I am questioning everything. Just when I feel like giving up or throwing it away, I get some small glimmer that tells me “okay, this is meant to be. Just trust it.” It may be taking longer than MY life plan had scheduled; but, HIS plan is far greater and I am confident that HE knows exactly what the world needs from me… and until I can see the full magnitude of that, I am just going to ride the waves and have faith in someone bigger and greater than myself.
My hope is that you all can also find faith in timing. To start trusting your gut and subconscious a little more. To believe in something greater than what society has taught us to believe. YOU have a purpose and YOU do belong. You may just need a little more kneading, molding, and flexing before you get that “Ah Hah!” moment.
So have a little faith.
Lots of ❤ Marissa
Mindfully Marissa 