What Began as a Meeting...

Today was a pretty average Monday, like most Monday's go. I was called out of my 6th period class to meet with my counselor about college and scholarships. I was expecting a normal counselor meeting... BUT the Lord always has a different plan that what you expect.(:

My counselor asked me the basic college questions like: Where are you looking at going? What do you want to be? How are you going to pay for it? The normal questions that most people would ask. I've met with him on other school occasions before so he knew a little about me.

He finally looked at me and said, "Paxton, who is in control of your life?" I was in shock, I almost didn't know what to say. This is where the Lord presents Himself in ways you can't even imagine sometimes. He said, "This isn't a trick question." I then with tears in my eyes said, "He is." My counselor looked at me and we both knew what had just happened. Through my SCHOOL COUNSELOR, who I've never really shared about my faith with, the Lord presented Himself to remind me that He is in control, that He will provide for me, that He has bigger plans for me than I have for myself, and that He keeps his promises.

We then continued to have a conversation about how He will guide me and be with me through this difficult and stressful of big college/future decisions. He asked me if it was ok if he shared his favorite scripture with me and I told him I would like that. This is what he then proceed to share with me:

"'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. Then you will call My name. You will come to Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will search for Me. And when you search for Me with all your heart, you will find Me. I will let you find Me,' says the Lord. 'And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have sent you as captives,' says the Lord. 'And I will bring you back to this place.'" ~Jeremiah 29:11-14

I think so often we only see Jeremiah 29:11 and stop reading there, even myself. But my counselor brought to my attention the verses that follow. They were so warming to heart and brought an overwhelming amount of peace to my heart. Next he shared:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

I know for me personally, giving my future and my decisions to Him and fully trusting that He will take care of them and protect me is hard. I like deciding what I do and I like taking control of things myself. Yet again I fail and I'm wrong, over and over again. He proves Himself trustworthy constantly and today was just one example. I'm absolutely amazed and in awe of how He works in those around us.

"You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us."