I wish there was a real Magic 8 Ball. You remember those big Magic 8 balls with different answers in it. When you had a question or needed help you would simply ask it a question, shake it and then it would tell you the answer to your problem. (There should be one with Bible verses so that when you asked it a question and shook it a certain verse would pop up. It would be much cooler than just opening up the Bible and pointing to any verse to get an answer).
In a few weeks I will graduate with my master’s degree and one chapter of my life will close a new one will begin. The problem: there seems to be a lot of option but I seem to find few answers (what I want is a plan that shows what will happen next). The Bible has many great verses that should bring comfort such as Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” There are many other comforting verses but none that say “Hey T.J. its God this is what your next step looks like.” (It’s not in a concordance and I can’t find it online even if I do a Google search).
So what can I do? I have to be patient. The problem is that patience is not in my vocabulary. (Question: Who had the most patience in the Bible? Answer: Luke, because he was a doctor. Yeah no one else laughs at it either). I don’t want to wait. I want to know now. But life doesn’t work like that and God doesn’t work like that.
I also have to trust that God knows best. I have to trust in his timing and in his plan and trust that he will come through. Trusting is not easy either. But then I go through past experiences and realize that when I have trusted God before things work out. I think about how Southeastern wasn’t my first college choice but looking back it was the right one. I think about how I didn’t want to go back to Southeastern for my senior year but I’m glad I did (especially since I met Amber, my wife).
So there are my answers: patience and trust. (And I didn’t need a Magic 8 ball). They are not easy answers but then again not everything in life will be easy. So I will wait and trust in God knowing that as he has been faithful before he will be faithful again.
