Yesterday, I was reminded with such crystal-clear evidence that God is always leading the way to our dreams. While touring a new co-working space for women in Phoenix, Hera Hub, I was introduced to a woman who is an answer to my prayers.
Little did I know that by showing up for a tour (which I nearly cancelled), I'd be connected to the woman who will help me fulfill one of my biggest dreams: to work with kiddos who have endured trauma.
This got me thinking of the attempts we make to plan our lives down to every little detail and set long-term goals (all of which are important). Joseph Campbell's quote speaks so eloquently to this point:
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
When we have the entire vision for our life mapped out in our mind, it is a sure sign that our Ego is at work (using its favorite tool: control).
Quite often the vision we have in our mind is directly linked to the dreams placed on our heart; if we stick so closely to the plan (and every detail we've attached to it), we aren't remaining open to the nudges God uses to guide us in a certain direction.
God, Lead the Way
We are called to set intentions based on the desire of our heart—seeds that allow our dream to sprout into form based on the impact we choose to make. However, we need to let God show us the "how" when it comes to our intentions.
The simple prayer, "How may I serve" opens the door for God to lead the way.
God already knows the desires of our heart given our unique purpose and passion; we must trust that we are constantly nudged in the direction that fully supplies the "how."
By remaining flexible and unattached to outcomes, we allow ourselves to be shown the absolute best way to make our dreams a reality.
When we have full faith that God already knows each and every desire on our heart (He was the one who put them there after all), we can be certain that God is guiding us via a trail of popcorn using people, opportunities, signs and our own intuition.
Each piece of popcorn is part of our answered prayer: the "how;" God often answers prayers in unexpected and surprising ways. Once we lean down to pick up the next piece of popcorn, we can first thank God for the answered prayer then act on the opportunity presented to us.
Surrender to God's Way
Even with a collection of popcorn in our possession, we still may not know the entire plan. God only provides us with enough clues to take the next step on our path. If we knew the entire picture of our lives, what would be the point of the journey?
The same goes for our ego's attempt to plan out our entire life and the dreams we desire to fulfill. We think we have to be the one to figure it all out far in advance; meanwhile, God and His army of Angels are laughing out loud as we try to take control of how life unfolds.
The best thing we will ever do for ourselves is to surrender to God's will and plan for our life—realizing the all-knowing, infinitely wise mind of God has everything under control (so we don't have to be the ones in control—phew!).
While God asks us to surrender with unrelenting faith, He expects us to show up and commit to the dreams on our heart. The beauty of staying committed with flexibility and faith is that one day, when we least expect it, God presents a person or sign or opportunity on a silver platter.
Trust that God has the next piece of popcorn already planned out (and the next one after that); surrendering while holding steadfast to faith ensures we are at the right place at the right time to receive our next piece of popcorn. And don't cancel that meeting like I nearly did! It just might be the exact place God has a miracle waiting.
My Prayer for You
Let yourself be surprised along the adventurous journey of life. It is much for fun, exciting and stress-free to set down control and surrender to the unknown aspect of your life's unfinished picture.
Prayer: God, thank you for leading the way to my dreams. I trust that you will provide the "how" if I stay faithfully committed to the intentions on my heart. I pray for the courage and strength to surrender to your will for my life.