One of my absolute best friends wrote an incredible blog the other day and has agreed to share it… here is what Brittany has to say…
Dear High School Self….
You’re not going to believe this. I’m going to Africa this summer and it won’t be for the first time. This will actually be my third trip to Africa. Did I just make your heart start racing with panic and fear? Don’t worry, you have about seven years to prepare yourself (although you’ll never be fully prepared for that first trip).
Right now, I know you have the rest of your life planned out after graduation. Your plan starts with going to college to become a teacher. After you graduate you’ll find a full time teaching job in Avon, move out of your parents’ house, meet an amazing guy, get married, have two kids (a girl and a boy), get a dog, a cat, and be a stay at home mom in your house with a big front porch and a pool in the backyard.
Well high school self, I have some advice for you and it’s only five words:
“Let go of your plan.”
I know how much you like to be in control, and I know you’ve had your plan set in stone since you were a little girl. I know how stubborn you are and how much you are going to fight with God over keeping your plan. I hate to tell you, but God is going to take your world and flip it upside down. Then He’s going to send you to the other side of the world and rip you right out of your comfort zone. You will find yourself thousands of miles from home walking through some of the worst slums in Africa. As terrifying as that sounds right now, I can tell you that Africa was a part of God’s plan all along. From the moment you step foot in the slums, you will forever be changed.
Letting go of your plan won’t be easy, but I can tell you that God’s plan is SO much better! You won’t even recognize yourself in ten years! God is going to challenge and strengthen your faith in the years to come. He’s going to take your passion for teaching and call you to teach in the last place you ever expected to be. He’s going to call you to lead instead of just follow. He’s going to show you that life is so much more than just the American dream.
So high school self, I leave you with this verse to remember in the years to come. Cling to these words, let go of your plan, and let God do an amazing work in you.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11