Consider the lilies.

I used to think that decisions were hard because I was afraid of making the wrong choice. I worried that my choices wouldn't play out the way I wanted them to and that I’d end up with a lot of regrets. It seemed hard to ignore the reality that the possibility of failure loomed over every possible option. And the fear of that failure was all too often enough to scare me away from pursuing things that were meaningful.

The older I get, the more that I realize that I don't want to be scared of futures that don't exist, or even of those that do. Life is complicated and full of unexpected turns. Some surprises are fun, and others are terrible. That's just the truth.

In the last twelve months, I've thought a lot about how often God invites us towards him, and away from fear. There’s a reason why “Fear Not” is one of the most repeated phrases in the Bible.

I firmly believe that God has placed us here with different desires and different gifts. We can choose to lean into those that bring us closer to Him, or we can push away. Honestly though, both seem kind of scary. When I turn towards God, I have to be vulnerable. I have to admit I’m not all that great, and that I’m scared sometimes. But this fear is different because we are no longer alone in this process. God walks alongside us. He encourages us to trust Him. He already knows us.

I’m trying to lean in.

This fall, I’ll be starting Law School at Mizzou. It’s been tough for me to wrap my head around what that means. People have already started referring to me as a Lawyer, which feels weird. Many have wondered exactly what I want to do, and I’ve come up with some pretty satisfying answers that get them to stop asking questions. The reality is that I’m not sure. I know that God has placed some great desires within me, like the desire to help make things fair, and the desire to pursue justice. If I had to guess, I think that it’d be cool to use these desires and my law degree to end up back in the world of education. Maybe I can try to tackle school funding, or maybe I can help draft legislation to help some teachers out. Regardless, I’ve decided to go for it.

Though titles change, I’m thankful to know that my identity doesn’t. My identity is found in Christ.

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Do Not Be Anxious

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.