Dad Knows Best, Part One

I find it funny how sometimes I think I know what's best for me.

Allow me to explain with an example.

Over the Presidents Day weekend, our family took a small road trip through the Hill Country. We ended up passing this river crossing in the middle of nowhere, and I encouraged our dad to stop the car so we could get out and take some photos. Out of concern that there would not be a good access point to get to the river, our dad decided not to stop and told us to just keep going to look for more another opportunity.

I'll admit I felt a little disappointed. What if we had just missed the perfect photo op? (I know, it might sound like a minimal concern, but for a family who drives out 50 miles just to get some pretty pics, it was an actual worry!) However, I wasn't about to disagree with my dad...and I ended up being so glad I didn't. We eventually passed this beautiful property, where even through the fence we could see the river. I could tell even from the outside that it would make a gorgeous photo, but as we passed, I never even considered going on the property to get to it. There may not have been a gate, but it was still someone else's land, and this girl did NOT want to get caught trespassing. My dad offered to turn around and I wanted to protest, but before I could say anything, we were headed back.

My worrywart brain was sounding its alarm as soon as we crossed into the driveway, but that anxiety quickly turned to sheer excitement. The land was absolutely stunning. Literally the BEST place we could have been for pictures. I looked to my right and I saw river, I looked to my left and I saw river, and I looked down and I saw river. We ended up getting out of the car and wading in the water for a few minutes, snapping some of my favorite photos from that day. It was a blast...even if I had felt a tad bit nervous at first.

That stop was probably the highlight of my day, but, honestly, without my dad there, I probably would have just as easily passed that perfect photo op, thinking it was too dangerous.

And as we left, that's when it hit me: how often do I not act the same with God? In my brain, I insist that my life should go a certain path or things should be a certain way because I truly believe that is what's best for me. I find it funny how I think I know what I'm doing, how so often I believe I know what's best for me, and yet I soon suddenly realize I was choosing so so wrong for me. In fact it was never my job to judge "what was best for me" at all. When I lift it all up to Him, I realize, low and behold, my Heavenly Father has had the very best plans for me all along.

“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him-these are the things God has revealed to us by His spirit."
‭‭{1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬-10 ‭NIV‬‬}

Sometimes we're looking for a place to just stop and take pretty pictures, and He just calmly, cooly tells us to wait, only to grab our hand minutes later and pull us into the actual river, allowing us to get a greater view than we could have ever imagined.
Sometimes waiting for that one crazy beautiful moment takes trusting in Him and ignoring the temptation to rely on our own judgment and personal experience. It might even take trusting that the risks you take to get there could be all worth it.

It's our human nature to rely on self judgment and personal experience, but what would it look like if instead we placed our lives into the hands of our loving father, whose plans for us go way beyond our wildest dreams? What if instead of accusing God of shutting down our dreams, why don't we consider the fact, the solid, cold hard truth that He simply has something better in store? His plans are for good. He is for you. His plans will never fail.

I think it's easy to get caught up in worldly plans made by worldly people, but His plans are greater and His ways are higher, and if we follow Him, we will never regret the choices we make.

I know this truth and I rest in it: my sweet dad in heaven really does know best.

P.S. The Lord has so awesomely made this lesson evident in my life in the past few months with a recent opportunity I was given. I can't wait to share it with you next week in Part Two of this post!

When You Feel Unwanted

I know how you feel.
When you look at the mirror and all you can see is the chubiness of your cheeks or the bigness of your nose or that ugly pimply formation that's constantly gaining size on your face. When you check your grades and you're the only one who bombed that last test. When you hear others laugh and you can't help but believe it's at you. When you feel like you are worth absolutely nothing and you feel anything, ANYTHING but wanted.
There are days I feel beautiful and loved and confident. But there are days when I look in the mirror and feel like literal poop.

Or in the side view mirror of a car. That works too. This day was especially poopy.

There are a million reasons I could give. The ways I constantly mess up in my life. The stupid mistakes I make on countless math worksheets. The silly things I've said or how I  have THE most obnoxious laugh. We constantly criticize ourselves for every little thing. Though our criticism seems so small, it all adds up...and we end up feeling like we are of little value at all. We end up feeling worthless. I know because I have been there.
But can I tell you something? Can I speak some truth right now that the Savior has placed in my heart to share, even though even I still have trouble sometimes believing it?
These are lies. These statements and claims our little brains make about ourselves, these measures and standards our teachers and parents and bosses and friends hold us to. Oh, they'll tell us all day we are unworthy. But Christ---Christ says we are more than enough.
Because of His perfect sacrifice on the cross, we are enough. We are made righteous, not by anything we have done or could do or any way we could act or anything we could say. You are loved not for what good you have done, what bad you have done, what good you haven't done, or what bad you haven't done. You are loved, friend, because you are His.
That's just that.
Allow me, just for a moment, to say this blessing over you.
You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Solomon 4:7)
You are awesome. You are just really super cool. YOU are. Reading this right now, you are loved. I can say that because I don't care who you are, and neither does Christ. He just knows you're His, and that is enough for Him.
You deserve a huge love. You are awesome. And quite frankly there's nothing you can do that would ever change that.
You don't need to keep searching for love. LOVE IS HERE. And child, you are more than enough.