Praise God! It's good to move forward...=-)

YAAAAH! As of 10pm tonight (Dec 1, 2009) via an e-mail acceptance letter, I am now "pre-accepted" to join Student Venture! Which basically means I now just have to fill out a few more forms for the sake of making sure I've a clean bill of health (mentally, physically, & background check-wise) needed for this job. Regardless, I'm just so overwhelmed with excitement, relief, and a healthy dose of trepidation at the unknown - but most of all, I'm excited because it confirms for me that I am headed in the right direction and correctly following God's leading!

Honestly, I waited all of yesterday and today with pins and needles on my heart, waiting to hear whether or not my application had been accepted/approved. And, after a great bible study last night where we listened to Mike Bicklen of Kansas City IHOP (International House of Prayer) talk about waiting on God and allowing Him to intervene in situations, I was well prepared today to step back and be patient and show that I've really entrusted all of this to God. Admittedly, I was very tempted several times today to take control of the situation and call or text someone here or there to get an answer, but then I was reminded that I told God I'd trust Him to provide me with His answer in His timing in His way...so I held back. And it was so worth it!! Because I can now say that I have waited on the Lord to answer me, and He has come through with the answer!

Waiting on God"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." ~ (Micah 7:7, NIV)

At the beginning of this year, I had a strong feeling that "this would be a year of change" - but I had no idea what it would entail...all I could do was wait, like the verse says. I've actually had the Micah 7:7 verse on my wall for at least half a year now. Now, when I think back on the past year or two, I see that all the striving I'd done on my own to "take charge of my future, my career, etc." was so much more difficult (& unfruitful!) than allowing God to show me the direction to go in! It's like God allowed me to go through all the stubborn-headed strivings of interviewing for different jobs I thought I should go for, or striving for a master's degree in what I thought I'd want, and so on - just so I could exhaust my "to do" list and give up control of my future, career, relationships, etc. to Him and really begin to understand what it means to wait and watch in hope for God to hear and answer me.

Sure, if I didn’t get accepted to SV, the road might seem like a much easier and comfortable road because I’d stay in my comfort zone. However, now that I'm accepted to join staff, I know I’m not “in the clear” per say because the road ahead will be wrought with more struggles, nail-biting times of uncertainty and faith-stretching, trust-building situations. But I am confident that God will follow through on his promises like he said he would in Jeremiah 29:10-14 ~
“"10 This is what the LORD says: 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,' declares the LORD, 'and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.'"

I feel like God has allowed me to grow and learn in my season of wilderness these past few years, and now he has reminded me of the hope I can have in Him when I entrust my future and present and past to Him. And, if God’s promised that he's got a plan for my life, I’d much rather follow HIS big plan instead of my little plans! God dreams much bigger for us than we ever could...so I'm truly excited to follow His lead this time in an unforeseen adventure.

And here we go!
Thank you for walking with me through this adventure!! It’s just the beginning…so hang in there – it’s gonna be AWESOME to see what happens next! =) And please – do keep praying and asking me questions and keeping me accountable as I move forward with the Lord. I treasure your thoughts and prayers, and love to hear updates on your lives too.

Till next time, may we be found always...

In pursuit of Him,
Kar-Lai
gahlai@gmail.com