Walkin On a Dream ☁
01 April, 2015
After taking my trip to California this past weekend with my family, seeing my old college friends and venturing around the LA scene, I've come to a conclusion: I'm moving to Santa Monica. And I'm getting my masters in creative writing from USC. And I'm living directly off the beach. And I'm buying a cute, fluffy, white kitten and a seafoam green beach cruiser and a bright pink helmet to match my rollerblades and I'm joining a triathlon club and working part time at Equinox fitness and as a hostess at Moonshadows and taking weekend trips to San Diego and reading my Bible every morning in the sand and drinking green juice every afternoon and, and, and...
Yeah, April Fools. Hilarious I know.
But, to be honest, after writing that first paragraph, it got me to thinking - ya know, maybe I really should move back? Maybe I really should get my masters and pursue writing, setting aside time to work on that modern-day Screwtape Letters novel I keep talking about. Maybe I really should get a fun job at a high-end gym or as a hostess on Ocean Ave or as a carnie at Pacific Park. (kidding 'bout that last one)
I hear the phrase YOLO preeetty often, it's unquestionably overused. "Should I eat this entire rum cake? YOLO." Ha, a friend of mine used to say "I'll try anything twice." Let's just say he's gotten into quite a few pickles the last couple years.
On a serious note, though, what if we really did live using the acronym YOLO, coupled with the infamous WWJD? What if we actually lived with the mindset of chasing our dreams instead of worrying over our fears? What if we shot for the stars, pinpointing a dream we'd like to achieve and actually going for it?
A struggle I've been having (the last year or so) is figuring out God's will for my life. It seem's to be a hot topic amongst young Christians, trying to stay in God's "perfect will instead of His permissible will," whatever that means. Hearing the phrase "God's will" for the first time did the opposite of its intent: instead of encouraging me, it horrified me.
What if I made a wrong choice and screwed everything up? What if I chose the wrong job? Or apartment complex? Or vacation spot? Or hair color? (ha! kidding, blonde for life) I'd go on date's deathly afraid it was the wrong guy. I'd plan my spring break struggling to pick a spot. I felt like I was in chains, far from a "free, open life" Jesus promises in the Word.
What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I relax? Why was I so terrified to make decisions? It's simple - I was forgetting the sovoreignty of God. I was forgetting He not only controls everything in this world, He also created me, knowing exactly what I need and how to take care of me. I was forgetting God is omnipresent, meaning He's not only in my living room helping me write this blog, He's also in Santa Monica, in New York, in Fiji, wherever!
How would we change if we knew no matter what life decisions we made - as long as they're not blatantly harming others or ourselves - that it's cool with God? What if He isn't necesarilly worried if I move back to Los Angeles or continue working in marketing here in Wisconsin? What if He's not as mystical as we make Him out to be, thinking He has one specific plan for us we could potentially (and easily) screw up forever?
My advice to you, as well as to myself, is to shrug off those heavy burdens of thinking we have a specific destiny we can't afford to get wrong. God is bigger than us, and He has plenty of resources to get us where we need to be, regardless of our geographic location or our apartment sitch or our hair color. (insert chuckle) If I stay home, working at my parent's advertising company, He can use me in big ways. But, ya wanna know what's so darn cool about Christianity? He can use me in lots of other places, too.
With that, I leave you with this: YOLO. No, really, YOLO! We're young, we're unattached, we're loved, and we've got the Lord, what's stopping us, ladies?
