The Great Unknown

          When I was five years old and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was quick and sure. I was going to be a princess living in a castle with my ten kids, and would ride my pony to my job as a singer every day. Who knows, maybe that will still happen. More likely, though, my life will look very little like my childhood fantasy.
          Fast forward to senior year of high school. The ending of one chapter, and the start of a new one in my life. So many decisions had to be made: what school I wanted to go to, what I wanted to study, what kind of job I might be looking for after college. I thought I had everything figured out. I wanted to go into architecture, and then join a firm once I was done with school. I was happy with the school I had chosen, and was looking forward to a fresh start. The exciting fresh start I was hoping for only lasted about a week. I found my classes to be very difficult, and was not as happy at my school as I thought I would be. I was left with the decision between continuing to struggle in the classes I was taking, or find something new. Looking at the classes that were offered, I settled on economics without any rhyme or reason. I could tell within a week of my economics class that I was in love. I went from being so sure about my life as an architect to falling in love with a class I only took to fulfill a requirement. Maybe this was God's way of pointing me in a better direction. Who knows? I certainly don't. I suppose that is the biggest thing that I have learned: whatever picture I have in my mind of where I will be later in life, God has a bigger picture with infinitely more colors.
          This can all be a bit scary at times. Sometimes we may feel like we are a totally different person than we thought. We maybe feel stuck in one place, because we don't know where we are going. I have certainly felt this way during my freshman year of college. I have learned that the best we can do is to trust in God and ourselves. As long as we are trying our best, God will help us get to where He knows we will be happiest. The times when you may feel you are falling apart are the times God is building something better out of all the pieces.