Places

Do you ever take a moment to sit and ask yourself why you are where you are? Like, why am I in the exact spot I'm in, and how did I get here? Or even - how long will I be here?

Every. Single. Day.

Some days roll around where I get so frustrated with my placement in certain significant things in my life - examples can be work, friends, school, future plans... etc. The other day at work I was called by my coworker, Katie, who was going through normal day-to-day instructions with me, and she messaged me after the phone call had ended saying, "You sound down, are you okay?" Sometimes, it takes little things like this to really break a person down... and let me tell you - I broke. We ended up having a heart-to-heart and it brought to light things that I didn't even realize about myself, so I thought I would like to share with those who may need to hear the exact same thing.

I am a worrier. Like, B I G  T I M E worry-wart. When I think about the future, even next week, I get pretty stressed out if I see a crammed calendar. It doesn't help that I have the hardest time saying "no" to people, especially people who ask me to babysit their super adorable kids; I somehow always end up with a filled schedule. Anyways - my point is I  W O R R Y. One of the things I worry most about is my placement in life.

The career I am in is very money-driven, and most people in the industry have an "every man for themselves" mentality. It is hard to keep afloat in this industry, let alone maintain a positive attitude throughout the day. There are too many times where I call to get information or ask a favor from someone and their response is rude, when in fact I am just doing my job, and they are doing theirs. It is far too easy to get overwhelmed with work load - same goes for any other job - and when you add even the slightest bit of negativity on top of that... it just gets messy. In our conversation, Katie compared this overwhelming feeling to the feeling of drowning. She continued to say, "But know, that this is not life and death. What really matters is Jesus... and he loves you so much and that's who will bring you peace and so much joy."

Can I get an Amen?! I mean come on, this was the greatest thing I had heard in forever, and the timing could not have been more perfect. More importantly, this is SO TRUE! Work is work, and yes at work you play a significant role in a specific place where people are depending on you to come through and do your job... but it is NOT life and death. If you screw something up, yeah it can go terribly wrong, but it's not going to kill you. You may have to swallow your pride and admit defeat, but don't let it freak you out to the point where you are constantly stressed and "drowning". (***note to self).

Our conversation continued: "Know God can use everything and if you are seeking Him, He will answer. He will make sure you are exactly where you are supposed to be." When I start to think about the rest of my life, my career and the industry I'm in, the constant exhaustion at the end of everyday from giving it your all... it's frightening. Its frightening to think that I could be "stuck" here in a few years, when in reality I'm not stuck at all. Every single day you devote your time to be in certain places for certain periods of time, and none of it is without reason. Even though you may not know the reason, just know there is a purpose for everything you do. God has you in these specific places to show you more about yourself. It could be a test of patience, grace, love, or a test of talents you may not even know about. He puts us in places where He wants us to learn and grow from trials, and He promises that he will never give us anything we cannot handle. Our God is a just God, and He will bless you when you seek after Him. I believe priorities play a big role in the outcome of your stress levels. If you put the Lord as your number one all the time, you would understand that He has everything in control and that He is looking out for your ultimate best interest (even if you don't agree)...

"He will provide you with the perfect amount of grace to be where He wants you to be. And also, the more we keep seeking Him, the more He will make the desires of our hearts match His will. He has you tight in his arms. He is your Heavenly Father and knows exactly what you need to be joyous and fulfilled inside."

Okay so at this point I'm in tears and I'm hoping that the gal I share an office with can't hear me sniffling and wiping my nose with my sweater. I'm just going to conclude my post with those words because they couldn't have been said more beautifully.

Sincerely,

Girl Adjusting Her Priorities.
xx

p.s. thank you & i love you Katie