"Bloom where He has planted you."

This weekend, I was blessed to be able to attend our state WAC Meeting. There, I heard messages from three different women: our state President, a friend and fellow WAC Member, and our national WNAC Secretary/Treasurer. None of these women planned their messages together, but they all went together perfectly. What an awesome God-thing! He knew exactly what we needed to hear, and He worked through these women to bring us His message.

Then, on Sunday, my Sunday School lesson and the sermon that Bro. Rick preached both continued the same message that I had heard on Friday and Saturday.

It is so humbling to see God working like that. He orchestrated two devotions, a lesson that was written and printed months ago, a message and a sermon all together to show me that He is in control and that I need to stop trying to be and just let Him lead me.

What's even more amazing is that I'm not the only one that got a blessing out of this weekend. I have a dear friend that attended the meeting with me and heard all of the same messages (including the Sunday School lesson and the sermon on Sunday). We heard the same words and read the same scriptures, and God spoke to us about completely different things.

Only the true God of the universe could do that! My friend said that God showed her that we all need to spend more personal time with Him. He revealed that to me as well, and also showed me that I need to stop worrying about what my purpose and my gifts are and just let Him show me.

One of my biggest problems lately has been trying to figure out what my purpose is. I'm at a point where I need to decide what I want for my future. I should be picking out a college major and setting goals for my future career, but I feel clueless.

When Mrs. Danita High (WNAC Sec./Tres.) spoke on Saturday, she said, "Bloom where He has planted you."

Of all the messages and all the great things I heard this weekend, that saying has stuck with me the most. I'm the type of person that wants everything to be perfect. I always say, "I would love to do this, but I have to wait for this to happen, and to get this bill paid off and to get this done first..." The list goes on and on. I always want everything to line up and form the perfect situation before I feel like I can "bloom."

Unfortunately, that perfect situation never happens and I end up never doing what I had planned or dreamed of doing because I'm still waiting on the perfect opportunity. God showed me this weekend that I really need to step out on faith and follow Him. Even when I can't see how something will work, He can make it happen.

Lately, I have been so focused on what's going to happen next and trying to figure out where I'm going from here that I haven't been living in the moment. I've stopped "blooming," and I'm sure that I have missed many blessings and many opportunities to share the love of Jesus in the process. It just breaks my heart that I've let myself get so caught up in the future that I've forgotten to live for today.

Matthew 6:33-34 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."

That tells us that God will provide for us and that we need to live in the moment. It doesn't mean that we can't make plans for the future. God wants us to make plans and have goals. But we can't let our plans and goals get in the way of His divine plans for us.

Mrs. Amanda York, who gave a devotion at the meeting this Saturday, spoke about obedience. She said, "God asks us to be obedient in small ways and He rewards our obedience." Sometimes, being obedient can mean putting your plans on hold to do what God leads you to do. Her main points were that:

1. We must be where we need to be spiritually. We should make personal time with Him a priority and we should make an effort to be in His presence and in the Word daily.

2. We should find our Spiritual Gifts and USE THEM!

3. We should be willing to be used for God's glory.

She also said that our goals and dreams are no good if they take precident over God's will. But, if we are where we need to be spiritually - if we are walking with God daily like we need to be, then our dreams and His plans for us will be the same.

I still don't know what God's ultimate plan for my life is. He has not revealed it to me, probably because I am not ready for it yet. He's still working on me every day - strengthening my faith, drawing me closer to Him, and testing my obedience - all to prepare me for His ultimate purpose for my life.

I may not be where I want to be yet, but I'm where God has planted me for now, and I am going to bloom for Him. Are you willing to do the same?