‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

10 months I waited.

10 months I waited for what was next in my life.

Did God not hear my prayers? About how I wanted to pursue His will for my life? Why was God withholding His plan from me? Shouldn't He want to give me the plans for my life?

I still don’t understand why I had to wait and why the door that opened eventually was the one that opened. I just know that everything is perfect in His time, and that is something worth waiting for.

If it isn’t God’s perfect will, then why would you want it?

I graduated college just over a year ago now and entered into the most uncertain periods of my life. I had done it; I got my college degree and was ready to face the world. Now what?

Well, I did what every college graduate does; apply for jobs like crazy. It easily became disheartening receiving rejection letters or even no response at all. What was going on? Didn’t God want me to get a job? Eventually, it became clear that right now just wasn’t my time to enter the workforce or get a full-time job. Wasn’t God’s time. I accepted the fact that this would be a long process and for now, I would be doing what I could with the waiting period I was in.

Let’s talk about contentment. I could have easily been upset that my life wasn’t turning out how I thought it might after graduation. In fact, there definitely were times that I was upset. However, what helped me out during this time was seeing that I was given the gift of time. I did what I could with the situation I was in and tried my best to practice contentment. I was able to use this extra time to grow closer to God. To reach out and be there for my friends after we parted ways. To be a good daughter as I lived with my parents.

It’s funny how we think we know what we need. I thought I needed a job immediately after graduation, but it turns out that wasn’t the case. If I would’ve gotten a job right out of college, I wouldn't have been able to go to my niece’s first birthday. I wouldn’t have been able to go on a trip with my mom or spend a whole week at my grandma’s. I wouldn’t have been able to rest after spending the most four exhausting yet sweetest years of my life at school and thank God for what He had already done in my life. All of these things were what I actually needed during this time. I didn’t need a job; I needed the sweet little gifts that God was able to give me because I wasn’t working. Looking back, this time truly was a gift all along. God knew what He was doing. He always does. He always gives us just what we need because he knows our heart better than anyone.

Yes, of course, there were nights that I cried out to God in frustration, wondering when He would reveal His plans for me or what door would open. It’s not that I didn’t trust God; I just wanted to know what and when. I knew that He had a plan for me; I wasn’t doubting that. I was just becoming impatient, and that is where practicing contentment came in.

Sometimes God doesn’t give us the why behind certain things, and that can be very frustrating. However, it’s up to us to see this as an opportunity to trust Him harder than we ever have before. Who are we to question God? Nothing we could wish for or dream of will ever come close to what God has in store for our lives. Instead of asking why, start asking how. How can I trust Him during this period of uncertainty? How can this time increase my faith in Him? How can I glorify Him even when I am confused? As the old hymn says: 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take Him at His word; just to rest upon His promise.

In the end, it all worked out. I am now graciously living in the answered prayer of finding a job in the place I wanted to be. How kind of God is that? It may just take time and extra trust on our part, but just know that eventually, things will work out. It may be 10 months like me or 10 years, but in the end, He is still the same God that is right there with us, working everything out for our good.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

Who else will hold your future so carefully in His hands, crafting a magnificent plan for your life behind the scenes? Who else will be worthy of your praise when that plan is revealed? We may not see it now, but one day we will. Whether it’s on this side of eternity or not, He will always give us what we need. Whether you’re currently walking in a period of unknown right now or walking in the light of answered prayers, may we all be able to join together and declare that it is indeed so sweet to trust in Jesus. There is truly nothing better than that.