Of Mice and Me

“The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.”

Yeah, that phrase is cliche’...
But it still rings true.

Lately, I’ve been pondering what it actually means to plan something. I’ve seen a lot of my friends frantically trying to figure out what they want to do after graduation, wondering how a certain situation will get resolved, etc. Still, most (if not all) of them have grand ideas and high hopes for the future.

I have many grand ideas of what I’d like to see myself doing after graduation, but that does not mean a thing. Economies change. Circumstances change. Priorities change. What we think is ideal doesn’t always happen. Nothing is ever certain; we just make our plans and hope for the best. That’s the best we can do.

BUT, there is hope, and that's a comfort. Having hope for the future requires one to place a great deal of trust in something. I choose to place my trust in God and what he has planned.

What’s that one Bible verse I always heard growing up? Oh yeah--

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

He has plans for me, and I have to trust that they’re better than my own.

This summer was not what I had planned. I had grand ideas of gallivanting off to some other country to meet my university’s cross-cultural trip requirement then coming back to the U.S. and getting a great internship in another city. I, instead, have been taking classes and working in my hometown because I was a bit short on the money I needed to make those plans happen. I’m not complaining though. That just goes to show that my plans do go oft awry.

So, I’m learning to trust that my plans, as grand as I usually think they are, may not always need to happen when or how I think they should happen. My original ones might not have been the best for me right now. I’ve had such realizations about other things in the past. Hindsight is 20/20, you know. I’m just glad my God puts up with me and my superfluous plans.

Staying in awe

Age changes things.

This summer, my college campus is being rented out for various camps and things. One day in the student union ladies’ room, I noticed three little girls sticking out their blue lollipop-coated tongues at the mirror while I was putting on some lipstick. I was making sure I looked my best before going to work, while the children were arguing over who had the bluest tongue (it was a serious matter, after all!).

It hit me then that age really does make all the difference in how a person views the world around them. Still, I had to wonder when exactly I lost my own sense of wonder. Me marveling at the color of my tongue in the mirror today would raise a few eyebrows because of my age. But, then again, when was the last time I let myself show such fascination with a new thing or experience?

I love the age I am right now. I wouldn’t trade my years of experience for anything.
Still, I hope I don’t forget to stop and smell the roses, look at the stars, or do whatever it is I need to do to keep myself from turning into a boring cynic who is never impressed by anything. I challenge you to not forget to do those things either. Carpe diem and all that jazz.

I think keeping a sense of wonder about you will help make life more satisfying in the long run. I know that, in order for me to live a fulfilled life, I'm going to need to stay in awe of the world God has placed me in and what He has given me.

So, do stick out that tongue of yours and marvel.

The "My life is crazy busy" post

Almost a year has happened since my last honest-to-goodness post.
(No, the last one wasn't quite goodness. Thanks for asking.)

How does one sum up a year's worth of happenings? I certainly don't know how.
Let us begin trying, OK?
OK.

I am now 20 years old and a junior in college. I am still your typical college student; I only have a vague idea of what I want to do after graduation. But I am really excited about my vague ideas...

I am blessed with great family and friends, and I'm grateful for them.

I'm still living, going to school and working in my hometown, and, while I'm waiting for a chance to see more of the world, I'm trying to learn how to "bloom where I'm planted." Or, rather, I'm trying to thrive. That has been my latest prayer to God--that I not take anything for granted.

My life is crazy busy--even during the less-busy summer.
But I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm just thankful.