"The Lord Will Make Your Paths Straight"

I had a brief conversation with Mr. Smith in the CHA gym lobby after Abby's graduation...  he asked when I was moving back to Tulsa.  Several people saw that announcement video but totally missed the follow-up. lol  I told him that was still my hope at some point, but I wasn't really sure when it would happen.  Without knowing any of the factors playing into my decision, he thought about it for a minute and said (with what I knew to be sincere care): "Well, the Lord will make your paths straight."

I loved that.
It caught me off guard in a good way.

This = Ken and Cheryl, Megan Elizabeth's wonderful parents.
He was also a CHA teacher, so I still call him Mr. Smith.

I Googled that verse, not realizing it was Proverbs 3:5-6.  I've thought about it a lot since.  The translation I'm much more familiar with says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."  That was the Bible App verse of the day on Wednesday, and the header verse posted on CCU's page when I signed into my new classes for the first time this week... not an accident or coincidence.  

True to Enneagram 9 form, I have been questioning things and looking at it from all sides, wrestling with whether to move forward in pursuing the doctorate vs. whether the cost is too high (financial, emotional, relational, etc.).  And true to His own faithfulness, God has been giving me little nudges of confirmation and clarity.  In my counseling session on Thursday, Emily asked what I felt when I thought about going forward with the program, and I immediately said, "pressure."  I feel confident that God heard that and sent this verse as a timely reminder for me yesterday.

Dr. Philip is the head of CCU's doctoral program and one of the most solid, Godly women I have encountered.  We each write a "Get to Know You" post before residency, and this was part of hers...

Hi new CES students,

I’m Dr. Philip, and I am so grateful to be with you at the beginning of something both beautiful and significant.  [She shared part of her story and family life here]...

Regardless of the roles the Lord calls me to, I’m simply a woman learning to say 'yes' to whatever He places before me, even when it looks nothing like what I ever imagined... I care deeply about spiritual transformation - not the polished kind, but the kind that happens when Jesus meets us in our weakness and says, “I am not done with you yet" and we surrender to His will.

I want to keep walking in the direction of purpose, and for me, that purpose is Jesus Himself. He is not just the one who gives us the reward. He is the reward. I delight in Him.  I want to help raise up counselors who do not just know the textbook, but who know the Healer. I want to help form leaders in the counseling field who do not just profess knowledge, but live it. And I want to be faithful where my feet are, trusting that God wastes nothing, not our pain, not our passion, not our past.

I am so excited to hear your stories and to walk alongside you in this first step of your doctoral journey. I pray you feel a sense of belonging here. God is up to something good.

With joy,

Dr. Philip

So good!  I loved what she said about this being the beginning of something beautiful and significant, and learning to say yes to whatever God places before her even when life doesn't look like she'd imagined.  Love the part about knowing the Healer, not just the textbook, and the timely reminder that Jesus is our reward, and God wastes nothing (that's been another concern for me recently - that if I don't finish the program, it would've been wasted effort - not true).  Finally, her parting words reminded me that I do feel a sense of belonging at CCU, and I do believe God is up to something good, soooo YAY!

Whew... the last five months have been tiring and hard on my sense of calling and identity as a counselor.  Satan meant for them to be.  I wrote an email asking about deferring the program yesterday morning, then I've prayed and read a lot and had some important conversations since then.  I am grateful to Emily and to Chet Lee for asking good questions and reminding me of important truths and helping me sift through my current grief and overwhelm to process this big decision, and I'm grateful to Mr. Smith for the reminder that the Lord will make my paths straight and show me which path to take.  For now, that looks like giving my best effort here - not reluctantly or in response to pressure, but cheerfully and with sincere gratitude for God opening this door, surrendering and saying yes to what He has placed before me, even when it looks nothing like the life I once imagined.  Looking forward to my sixth trip to Colorado next week to start this program - get excited!

Whatever decisions you may be facing today,

trust in God and seek His will,

and He will show you which path to take!

❤ ❤ ❤