Sometimes The Answer Is No

No: the word we all normally don't like to hear, the word we hear often as children, the word that some people say too much or the word that some people often don't say enough (me). There are so many questions in life that result in the simple answers of either yes or no. However, sometimes those answers aren't so simple to all of life's difficult and tiring questions. This morning during chapel (side note: I LOVE going to a college that takes time out of the day to worship our amazing God together as a campus!) I was talking to my friend and we were discussing life plans and how we can go into college with one major but so often, we see so many people changing their majors and this particular friend was talking about feeling called to maybe change her major. However, she questioned how it might be difficult or not exactly what she wanted. This conversation really made me start thinking throughout the day about how real her situation was to me at one point not too long ago.  Here is the thing, sometimes the answer isn't exactly what we want and most definitely, sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes God's perfect plan is completely different than our plan. Sometimes God's answer is no. As hard as that is to take, it's true. Just take a look at the plan I thought I had laid out. My plan for most my high school career was to attend a local community college or university and eventually become a high school counselor.. but then God said no. The summer before my senior year, God showed me part of His plan (that's right, God doesn't always show us the full plan.. but that's a whole other thing). I knew that I wanted to further pursue Him and that my relationship would only be strengthened by attending a Christian college. Although there were some obstacles and rough patches, look, here I am at a Christ-centered university and I so incredibly grateful that God had other plans and that I ended up here at Indiana Wesleyan. Not only am I not at a local community college or university, I'm not just studying psychology. I have felt called to ministry so here I am, pretty clueless to the end goal but I am assured that God's going to provide if He's given the calling. So even though sometimes the answer might be no to your plan, let me tell you that God's plan is SO much better than your plan in the long run. He will provide for you! Be okay with sometimes the answer being no.

He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." Luke 11:28