senior sem reflection on 'Knowing God's Will'

Wow, this first section of the book was so exactly what I needed to hear, and what I am actually already very aware that I am currently learning. At the beginning of this year when I had a pre-season meeting with Coach Smelley I was really stressing about God’s will for my future was; what I would be doing come graduation, where I would live, having to leave my friends, and having to be a grown up. He saw that I was very restless and encouraged me to give this to God and rely on Him for whatever was to come. When I met with Coach again the day before Christmas break he instantly saw a new spirit in me; he commented on how as the semester had continued on he saw me grow up a lot, all in the midst of a couple months. I felt it too; I felt reassured that God had me under his wings, and I felt okay that the next year was not planned. Well over Christmas break I learned why God had helped me mature very fast and have a solid trust in His plans; my family was informed on December 29 that my Dad has stage-4lung cancer that has metastasized to his bones and brain. We were completely happy and normal before that day just as Sittser states, “But that happiness-what we assumed was the “will of God” for our lives-came to a sudden halt…”(Sittser, 21). Never in a million years did we think this was going to happen to us, but this is the life God had planned for us so we are forced to do nothing but deal with it. One part of me is still figuring this huge surprise in the road, and waiting to wake up from this dream and hear a doctor say, “just kidding your daddy is going to be just fine, we made a mistake!” Another part of me deep down knows I must accept this as God’s will, Sittser made a statement that I have been reading over and over, “Or did God plan something very different for me, something still good, but also hard and painful at the same time?”(22). This news of my father made it even more evident that we have no idea what forks in the road God will present, so worrying about the future is unnecessary and all we can do is prepare ourselves for whatever it is that does come our way. Surrounding us with solid friends and family, digging into God’s word, and practicing His presence and trust. God’s will is always whatever is at hand; there is not wrong path to choose if you are living a Christ-centered life that follows His commands. Ceasing worrying about the future and living a life full of anxiety Sittser also points out is warned against in the Bible, so currently I am learning to be assured that God is in control. To hear a man like Sittser who has had so much pain and disappointment tell me to stop worrying is so encouraging. I am going to do God’s will to trust in Him during this season of pain in my family because, “He wants us to do His will because he knows this will bring us true happiness”(26). While it is hard to believe these tears shed by my family are the will of God, everyday I am learning to trust and I know we will all be okay and will all be better lights for God because of it. Sittser sums it up best with his statement, “This God will take care of tomorrow; thus, we must concentrate our energies on today”(30).