Or maybe not. I've since learned that God was guiding me. Looking back, that seminary teaching class was one of the most helpful classes I ever took. It helped me be a better teacher at work. I learned valuable teaching skills that I will need and use for the rest of my life. Those skills are so valuable for me and for what I'll be doing that I think God directed me to look into seminary teaching so that I would take that class, a class that I never would've taken without being directed to it.
Sometimes we can feel that maybe we've made a mistake - we received guidance but the end result was disappointing. Nothing worked out like it was supposed to. We know God doesn't make mistakes, but sometimes it's hard to understand what He's doing. He leads us by the Spirit, but then things don't appear to work out. But, in reality He is perfectly and purposefully guiding us to where we need to be, who we need to be with, and to experiences that will help us learn what we need to learn.
God loves us. That knowledge is essential for us to have in order to accept that He has a purpose and plan for each of His children. He's got it all straight in His mind; He doesn't get confused or make mistakes. He does guide us. He speaks to us through the Spirit in a way that we will understand what He's saying. He's got everything under control. And one day, we will be able to look back and say, "Ok. Now I understand. Things had to work out just like they did for me to get here."Being clean and obedient is so important because as we are, we can feel confident that we are feeling the Holy Ghost and being guided. If we are doing our best, we can pray and then listen with confidence (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-46). We can be assured that God is talking to us in a way that we will understand. We can then walk forward with confidence that He is leading us to where we need to be, even if we can't quite see how or why He's taking us in this certain direction. But, He knows why. And we can find peace in knowing He's got things under control.
I totally second this. I had felt very strongly that I needed to go to Vanderbilt for college. I got there, & couldn't figure out why. I went on to garner leadership positions & awards, but wasn't happy being the designated driver at parties & the one friends called at 3am to pick them up from a club. But I grew up with very few LDS friends, so I didn't know any different. Then after my sophomore year I went home for the summer & attended the Singles Ward in my parents' stake, where I suddenly had LDS friends! I realized what I had been missing & applied & got into BYU. My parents were very disappointed, thinking I was taking a "step down" academically (though a huge step up in my field of study) & wondering why on Earth I had felt so strongly about Vanderbilt. I know that I needed to go there to realize exactly how badly I needed the support of peers with my same standards.
ReplyDeleteEric, this is a beautiful discussion on a topic I’ve thought a lot about these past few years (and specifically weeks). I wonder if the problem comes when we assume a result God wants from a certain inspired action. And you know what happens when we assume:) But seriously, I am prone to think “How could this path lead me anywhere but the very specific destination that I’ve thought of?” I am often limited in my vision. When we are doing what’s right we can be confident that a seemingly wrong or random path will ultimately lead to the right one. Thanks for writing about this.
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