Maggie Lavoie
As you would expect, this is an extremely busy and emotional time for seniors. For me personally, it’s happy and sad, exciting but nerve-racking. I am so ready to be done, but at the same time I feel sentimental…finding myself wanting more time with the people I’ve become close to. It’s hard to understand that everything we have become so accustomed to is all going to disappear completely.
One of my biggest struggles in life has been the challenge of trusting and surrendering everything to God: the big and the small things. I am a control freak and list-maker who tries to keep everything in order so I will always know what will happen next. But at the end of the day, these uncomfortable places I try with all my might to keep away from always end up finding me regardless. Recently though, God has made me realize that He puts us in these uncomfortable places because He knows we are afraid to seek them out ourselves. He’s so confident we already know what to do next that He is willing to be silent when we ask for His voice. He doesn’t care as much as we do whether we perform perfectly or not. He just wants us to be His while we do it. Playing it safe and just waiting for little reassurances from Him here and there isn’t necessarily bad, it just isn’t faith anymore.
People seem to wait for God to give them a “plan” and ride out their to-do list until He intercedes with some big sign about the purpose for their life. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think that at one time. The point is that if you’re waiting for this supernatural sign, you’re most likely trying to delay the process. What a shame it would be if we were waiting on God to say something while He’s been waiting on us to do something.
Even if you are not a senior, there is always room for a new beginning. I pray for thankful and expectant hearts in the church that desire to see God work in them and through them in the years to come. I pray that we live out bold faiths, shining our lights for all to see. That we as a body use our fears and anxieties to run to Him, to find rest and assurance in the sure and steady. The one thing that will never change.