A Little Thing Called Freedom

Let’s just say that life since I graduated from college has been an interesting road. I’m just now realizing how many ideals and expectations I brought into that day that I finally got to move the tassel from one side to the other and shake the hands of distinguished professors and take photo after photo with smiling relatives.

In seven short months I managed to check one career path off the list and then move back home to pursue the indistinct future that I will admit still is a little bit fuzzy. The fact that I’m ok admitting that and realizing that it’s ok to uncertain is a small miracle that God has performed in the last year of my life.

Through many different things that have happened in the last year, I have realized that all of the plans that we build for ourselves mean nothing if God isn’t at the heart of all of it. Today while I was reading my Bible I came across this verse and think it’s really amazing…as God’s Word does generally tend to be!

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” –Romans 8:20-21

Hopefully you can see it too, but this verse basically sums up the main things that I have been struggling with over the last year. Here I had all of these hopes and dreams and expectations but those things were never meant to fulfill me. Although God gives us so many great things in life and wonderful people to enjoy them with, He is the one who is ultimately meant to fulfill us. Like it says in the verse, God uses our frustration to point out our desperate need for Him.

Although I’ve heard this concept so many times, I’m just starting to realize how true it is. The amazing thing is that He doesn’t leave us abandoned and depressed with the knowledge that life will never be exactly what we want it to be, but draws us to Himself so He can teach us how to run away from the things that decay and toward Him into a life of freedom as His child! Isn’t it crazy when you read that that we can ever be hopeless when there is so much life and hope that Jesus intends for us to have? Amazing!

Another snippet that I noticed is this verse:

“But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” –Romans 8:24b-25

What I took from this part is the fact that we can and should hope for the future, but what we often forget is that we need to wait patiently. I can’t say that I’m excited about the fact that right now I am hoping and waiting for my dreams and passions to become a reality someday, but in light of eternity the waiting is like the blink of an eye. When I am worshiping God in heaven am I really going to look back and think about how unfortunate this waiting time has been…particularly since He is teaching me so much through it??? Probably not.

In light of eternity, what matters is that I’m following God and obeying Him. He has put each of us here for a reason. I’m unsure of exactly what my calling is, but I can trust that He will show me when He is good and ready! I can waste my life away or I can honor Him through it all. As for me, I will serve the Lord right now!