I have
always loved to read. Words and language intrigued me from a very early age. But
still, great scholastic achievement didn’t seem to be my lot.
When I was in High School, I had no idea where I would end up in life. I used to feel terrible anxiety and pressure to know about the future, particularly when some of my more organized and strategic-thinking friends would unveil their plans.
They knew what colleges they would apply to in the beginning of their Junior year. I had no clue. I was barely passing my subjects.
The really advanced students were earning scholarships to Ivy League universities and getting ready for lives of privilege and success.
Me? I struggled through much of High School and really only excelled in English, Spanish, and chorus. Math and science were terribly difficult for me. Even though my teachers would tell me I could do it and I just “wasn’t working to my full potential,” I didn’t believe that.
No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t seem to get it to click for me.
I knew I loved language and music, but couldn’t put two-and-two together to determine what my life’s path should be.
Once I graduated, the first college I applied to rejected my application because my GPA wasn’t high enough. I didn’t have a Plan B, so that meant sitting out the first semester after finishing High School.
I was depressed and felt like a complete loser. Of course I know that’s not true now, but back then, my teenage crisis was real to me.
I recall being invited to one of my friend’s graduation parties very soon after that rejection letter crushed my dreams of higher education. She was celebrating heading off to college—to the exact same university that rejected me.
Ouch.
“Where are you going to college?” her family and friends asked me during the backyard barbecue.
“I don’t know yet,” I said, feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness. Honestly, I wasn't confident I ever would. Though I was excited for my friend, I wasn't so sure I'd measure up or be good enough to pursue a college education.
Looking retrospectively, that was a lie. The very next semester, I was accepted into a state university under a special program that helped me get off to the right start.
I graduated with a degree in English and went on to do things I never imagined I would or could.
My friend who got accepted into my dream school decided college wasn’t for her. So she dropped out, got a job and did well for herself, and continues to do so to this day.
You and I can never quite know what the future holds, but we must never give up hope for the future based on present circumstances. When the scattered and shattered pieces of our life convince us of a bleak outcome, we must remember that the Lord is in control of all things.
Why worry about what you don’t have, when God is everything you need?
God is not limited by our limitations; set back by our setbacks; hung up on our hang-ups; or inhibited by our inhibitions. His strength is greater than our weakness and His sufficiency makes up for every deficiency.
All we have to do is trust Him and rely on His strength.
To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring Ephesians 6:10 NIV into your cup of inspiration. It says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup, you will be reminded that it is God’s power, not our personal strength and ability that equips us to carry out His will for our lives.
I encourage you to lean on the Lord. Give your hopes, dreams, and plans to Him. He’ll never let you fall.
Not only that, but Ephesians 3:20 NIV promises that He will “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
Now let’s pray.
God when I feel unsure, overwhelmed, too weak, and unable to carry out your purpose for my life, remind me that You never asked me to do anything on my own. It is Your strength and power working through me that makes all things possible. And there is nothing too hard for you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
If you need prayer, don't hesitate to request it. I would be honored to stand in faith with You. I know that prayer works. CLICK HERE to learn how to submit your prayer request.
