God's Timing

I am always amazed by God's timing. His plans for everything work out great, even when we question and doubt Him. Today would have been the day that I would be getting back from camp, had I not chosen to decline the camp counselor position that I was offered out of state. It was a very hard decision for me to make, that it probably wasn't right for me to go. I wanted to spread my wings, take part in a grand new learning experience, and enjoy a summer of speaking and teaching Spanish. But with several frustrations in the application, communication, and contract processes, I began to wonder if it was really what God wanted for me to do with my summer. My parents, who are usually very supportive of our decisions and encourage us to try new things, did not want me to go, and that seemed like another sign. But I had to question...was this a time that God wanted me to stand up and make a decision for myself, or was their hesitation the last sign that God was going to give me? After thinking and praying, I decided that I thought I heard Him telling me to stay.

Though I prayed for a very clear answer and for me to know the reasoning as to why I should stay, neither happened very clearly. From the day that I would have left until today, when I would have returned, my mind has flitted to what might be happening there and how my summer could have been if I had gone. I haven't really regretted it necessarily, but I didn't stop thinking about it and I didn't positively know that I had made the right decision. And here on the home-front where I've been, nothing too "large" has happened to help me know that I made the right choice, but God's been at work.

I think that He's been teaching me patience, along with several other things. I am not very used to slowing down and being bored. These past 4 years have been a whirlwind of activity for me, between heavy class-loads, multiple work schedules, trips to Mexico, and everyday things, and I think that I may have gotten lost in the chaos at times. This summer has given me the opportunity to slow down, spend some treasured and relaxing time with my family, and time to contemplate where I'm at in life. Counting my blessings, I have been able to spend some very enjoyable time bonding with my sister; I got to take a trip out East with my mom, sister, and Grandma, and I will remember this trip for a lifetime...I feel that this summer is the only time that we would have been able to take this trip; I've been able to spend quite a bit of time with my dad, and enjoying his company; visits with my brother and sister-in-law have been very nice; and within the last 3 days, I have gotten 3 (1 of them still pending on a meeting) new jobs that will last at least until the end of summer. In short, I have been very blessed by little things, and I think that God smiled today and told me that I made the right choice. Perhaps the future will reveal more reasons as to why He wanted me to stay, and perhaps not. Whichever way it happens, I feel blessed to know that there is a God who loves me, cares for me, and knows exactly what He has planned for me. Thank you, Jesus!