Wow, it has been a shamefully long time since I wrote! Let's just say I was extra busy from late October to December- busy and very emotional. I decided not to blog because it would have ended up being a long rant and the internet does not need one more angry lady spewing her discontent all over our news feeds (yes I'm referring to that Njoki Chege chick.... SMH).
Anyway, to recap,
last year was a year of transitions for me. It was a really difficult year and
I had to get rid of some terrible friendships I was stuck in. To top it off,
internship has been one crazy exhausting ride. At the end of the year I had not
accomplished all the things I thought I would have and I was not where I wanted
to be. As much as I had that Aha! moment when I decided to join the internship,
I still struggle with the implications. Support raising is not easy and it is
not fun. My pride has taken a serious bashing and will probably take some more
this year. Additionally, my identity was so wrapped up in the career I thought
I was called to that I still can't fully accept that I work in the church.
Finally, I know it seems vain, and I know this is pure pride, but it literally
took months before I agreed to put in the title 'intern' into my email
signature. At the beginning of 2014 I had just graduated again, I was sure of
my calling and career path, and I was ready to take on the world. I knew that
it would be a magnificent year. I was ready to realize all those dreams and
goals that I had carefully thought out. Then 2014 came with all its downs. When
I took stock in December, I was gutted by the disparity between my plans and
what happened. However, I realized something really important. I was not where
I thought I would be but I was where God needed me to be. Yeah yeah yeah, I
know how corny it sounds but it really is true. Throughout 2014 God granted me
grace to do what I needed to do. Whether it was allowing me to be jobless so I
could comfort a grieving friend and help my cousin with her business, or
allowing me to go through tough situations so that I could really see who my
real friends were. He used every situation to mould me and shape me. It was
tough but my goodness He guided me through and I came out more than just
unscathed. I have excelled in many ways in my internship and honestly, it still
baffles me how all that happened. I can't explain the favor I have had with my
supervisors or how I didn't quit or just explode during some of the volatile
situations I was in. I look at myself sometimes and I honestly don't understand
how I became that person. This highly competent person that other people see.
Which brings us to the topic at hand; the new fear. One of the biggest things
that has happened to me is that I have been offered a position in spearheading
a ministry that encompasses all my experience, study, interests and passion.
The day they told me about it I humbly and graciously accepted and then went
nuts when I was with a friend. I literally could not stop smiling. Even now I
can't believe it. I have told some people about it, but I try to keep a
straight face and play down just how big this is for me and how excited I am.
IT'S A PRETTY HUUUUUUGE DEAL!!!!
If you know me, I do
pretty much anything I am asked to do (at work) and I do it as excellently as I
can. If you know me well, you know I am quick on my feet and I am a pretty good
trouble shooter. If you know me really really well, you know that I freak out
as soon as I am asked to do something. I have a tiny explosion in my head
before I respond. Depending on the importance and possible repercussions of the
task, I will have anything from a split second freak out to a talk-to-myself,
numb-and-paralysed-with-fear and run-every-possible-horrible-outcome-in-my-mind
reaction. The latter is the case this year. You see, this year is different.
God has made it really clear over a long period of time that He has great plans
for me and some of them begin this year. It may sound stupid but I am scared to
death of those plans. I even spent my entire holiday avoiding my own thoughts
so that I wouldn't have to process it all. I don't even know where to start
with all of this. I am scared of trusting God because last year when I trusted
Him He took away friends, hopes, dreams and a career path. I am scared that I
am going to fail epicly and not just on my own in my tiny little intern's
corner. I am scared of all the responsibilities that have been entrusted to me.
I am scared that I will not attain my goals. I am scared that maybe I will
achieve success but in the process alienate myself from family and friends
because of my workaholic tendencies. In short, I am scared of it all and much
much more (don't get me started on my fear of the dark). Despite all this fear
I find great comfort in the fact that God tells us not to fear or be afraid 365
times in the bible. For all of 2015 I have nothing to fear. If there's anything
I learned within the past few years, it's that people will let you down, but
God never will. When He said He will never leave you nor forsake you, He meant
it and He keeps all His promises. He has been with me; guiding me, loving me,
caring for me, healing me, teaching me, holding me, helping me and carrying me.
He has been on my side even when I wasn't on my own side. He has helped me even
when it's my own foolishness that got me into a sticky situation. He has guided
me back to the path when I have wondered off because of my stubborn and limited
thinking.
The truth is that in
2014 I had my own plans carefully crafted off of a bit of what God had told me.
This year however, I have real hope because the dreams I stand on didn't come
from me. I didn't create promises in my head and then decide to hold God to
them. I didn't go out of my way to look for goals. I really truly believe that
this year is a special year. It holds new dreams, new fears and shall be
overflowing with new favor from God. I'm done with trusting God just for
the little things. It's time my faith grew and I really trusted Him for the BIG
THINGS... What are those things you were always too scared to pray for because
you were scared He wouldn't answer? Test Him by trusting Him and you will see
Him in all His Glory because our God is Big and Awesome and More than able to
do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine. This year
that will be my testimony and I pray it will be yours too.
"I have been offered a position in spearheading a ministry that encompasses all my experience, study, interests and passion. The day they told me about it I humbly and graciously accepted"-- Let's discuss this.
ReplyDeleteI love this piece because it reflects so much on my own thoughts <3