Beauty in the Unknown

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.”

-Jeremiah 29:11

Surely one of the most overly quoted verses in the Bible. Even my eleven-year-old cousin can recite that verse! Unfortunately, it becomes all too easy to lose sight of its significance.

I mean, think about it:

The Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world has given each of us a beautifully unique future, designed just. for. us. We each have a purpose on this Earth that only we can accomplish. We are each an integral part of a bigger plan, like a small insignificant tile used to create a captivating wall mosaic. And yet, if one piece went missing, the mosaic would simply be incomplete. Our lives and futures are equally important, equally valuable, equally worthy, to God’s plan.

But what if something doesn’t go the way you’ve always planned? What if God has something greater planned for you? Something you’re not even aware of yet?

Conversely, what if you are absolutely positive what the Lord has called you to do but have absolutely no idea how to get there or where to start?

I’ve experienced both.

You see, my passion since I won the 4-H State Tropicana Speech Contest in fourth grade was public speaking:

the adrenaline rush,

the quick thinking,

the ability to capture someone’s attention-

Nothing made me feel more important.

I knew I wanted to be a broadcaster when I grew up, no questions asked. It was all mapped out: be admitted to the University of Florida. Graduate with a telecommunication degree. Work for the JoyFM…

…But the Lord had other plans.

In my past three undergraduate years, I have absolutely fallen in love with American Sign Language and the Deaf community. Never in a million years could I have guessed that the Lord would call me into the field of interpreting.

But where do I even begin? UF doesn’t offer anything in that field and my pride prevents me from transferring.

Lord, what the heck am I doing here? How is this part of my calling if I don’t even know what direction to take my first step?

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

                                                            -Psalm 119:105

Another overly quoted verse. I mean, what does that even mean??

Let me paint a picture: if you’re immersed in a sea of pitch black with the exception of a single lamp, you will only be able to see a small circumference around that light: just enough to see in order to take one single step.

And if the Lord is our lamp that illuminates just enough area for us to take that one single step, all we need is Him to guide us in the right direction that that one single step should be taken. And how do we get that guidance?

“Give us today our daily bread.”

-Matthew 6:11

The Lord’s Prayer - or rather a portion of it; Matthew 6:11 is rarely quoted without the whole prayer. Regardless, I stopped to consider what it even meant. Obviously it’s not referring to a real piece of bread. So what then?

The Lord will give us just enough daily wisdom and understanding-our daily bread-in order to take that one single step. We need only trust in Him and ask Him through prayer for that wisdom.

The Lord does that on purpose: what would be the point of illuminating our whole future? Where’s the fun in that? But really, where would trust come in? How could we lean on our God if He gave us all the answers straight up?

There’s beauty in the unknown. And there’s beauty in how the unknown becomes the known.

When I take a look at the crazy opportunities and experiences that the Lord has given me, I’m truly humbled. But beyond a humility check, I finally understand why I was given these opportunities and experiences: because they played a much bigger role in defining my future than I could realize at the time.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

-Romans 8:28