Now that I have you all singing the theme song from The Jeffersons (and if you weren’t I hope you are now), I have some exciting news to share. A few weeks ago, I accepted a position as a youth director at the YMCA of Garner. I will be at a new branch, but still within the YMCA of the Triangle. It has been a long and crazy road getting to this point. It will be sad for me to leave Alexander since I’ve been there for three and a half years and met so many awesome families and kids. I also really enjoy the people that I work with at Alexander, and that will be tough to leave. With that being said, I am really excited about my new opportunity. The YMCA of Garner is heading in a great direction and it will be really fun to be on the front end of those opportunities.
There is one thing that I have learned through this whole process, and that is God is faithful and works in mysterious ways. Back in July, I found out that I’d be losing my job at Trinity one month before I got married, and now half a year later God has provided me with an incredible opportunity. Through the process I have never lost my trust in God, but there have been times I’ve wondered what is going on. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” I have found this verse to be incredibly true. The path to this point in my life has not been flat. There have been some hills and some valleys, but through it all I have no doubt that God was with me the whole time.
When I was a senior in college, I had my last year planned out. I was working at a 4H youth after school program in Fuquay making $10 an hour. Both semesters I needed internships for classes, so I planned on using my job as my placement. I would get paid and get credit for school, it was a win-win. I would come in during the morning to help work the office side, and then I would be there in the afternoons to work with the program. A week before school started, I found out that my plan would not work. Some people higher up had decided they did not want me working when there were not kids there in the program. Because of this decision and my class schedule, I had to quit my job because I could not work enough hours. My plan had been completely shattered, and I had no back up in place. Instead of panicking, I decided to trust God had a plan for me. I ended up being able to do an internship through my church and worked at a smoothie shop a block away from my house. The end result was so much better than what I had planned and has helped me get to where I am today.
Ever since then, when plans fall apart or things aren’t going the way I thought they would, I know all I need to do is trust that God will take care of me. I have learned that even when it may appear like it, He has not left me. Life is full of ups and downs, but God is with you through it all. I want to encourage you to trust in God no matter what you are going through. He is faithful and will never fail or forsake you. Whether your life is amazing or a wreck, praise God. Trust in Him and He will get you through to the next step.
until next time…