Opportunities

Lately, Tom and I have been talking a lot about the things life throws at you, and what different people do with them. We figure that lots of people struggle with the same things each of us do, but isn't it interesting how we take that same thing and turn it into a whole different life? Different reactions, different opinions...it's all very confusing sometimes.

How are we supposed to know who's right? Is there a black and white to every issue? Or is it all just one big gray blob?

Well today we were having one of those conversations as we sat on the bed, surrounded by our dressers pushed up against the bed so we can paint the walls. Even in that messy room, I felt the spirit as we talked. Still deep in thought, we went to devotional, and heard the words of our school's president and his wife: Kim B. and Sue Clark. The message could not have been more clearly directed to Tom and I. Never in my life have I experienced something like that, where I really thought that they must have tapped wires into our apartment and heard our conversation.

And I came away from it all having learned a lot, but gaining the insight that I, or Tom and I, need to take advantage of as many good opportunities as we can, as we feel guided by the Lord to do. Everyone is different, we all have different plans and ways of learning.

We don't know where we'll be in two years (that is, once we leave Rexburg in two years...), or what we'll be doing. We don't know what our family will look like. We don't know what experiences we will have had, the friends we will have made, or the things we will have learned. Sometimes that scares me.

But I'm always reminded in very quiet ways, sometimes just a moment when I wake up in the middle of the night, or as I'm tiptoeing around the house early in the morning, or as I sit here waiting for Tom to get home: He knows. I don't need to know, because our Heavenly Father does. YOLO doesn't mean do dumb things and try everything! It means, with the gospel perspective, to "lay hold of every good thing". Things that truly uplift and inspire and enrich. And if there are too many of those to handle, pray about which ones to do. But you can't just sit there waiting for the Lord to tell you where to go! He will steer your course as you move. You've got to be moving, acting, stepping into the dark.

What does this mean for us? Well, Tom is changing one of his clusters in school. I'm applying for jobs that I will need to humble myself greatly for. We're learning how to take life one day at a time. I'm applying to be a volunteer swim coach! We're making commitments to each other and to the Lord. We're making and sticking to a budget. Most importantly, we're putting God first in our lives, followed very closely by each other. You can't go wrong when you do it that way - thank goodness!

What are your thoughts on taking opportunities, and handling the temptations, trials, and stresses that life gives to us? I'd love to hear your thoughts and insights!