Today is my 20th Birthday and I have something to share!

                I just wanted to write and show you how blessed I have been by an ever faithful God. Today is my 20^th birthday.  Today actually marks a pretty huge day for me.  Today marks the day that I am an adult. My career choice and what I know where Christ is leading to me demands me to take on full time job as a CNA and be in the adult world now. Looking back in the past and all I have been through it’s been so clear, that God was preparing me for this step, he has given me the advice I need to hear and the “ experience”.

                My 19^th year  of age was probably the hardest year I have ever faced. I use to blame it on how things went and that was my portion in life and God was testing. When I now know the events and the trials that went on… were there to help prepare me for this big step into the adult work and claiming adult things, not just to test me. That God has higher plan then the right now! I In my 19 year learning experience, I handled thing very immaturely at times ( a lot of times). I have great parent who expect the best of me and want the best of me, my parents dealt  a lot with the immature me and pressed on expecting the best for me and of me cuz they knew I was able, I wasn’t doing that part and owning up. So they kept on me and labored like great parent are supposed to.

                I had a lot of learning to do last year and looking back at it….. I overcame it with Christ help. Not that everything today is answer perfectly but everywhere I see how God worked by matching this small thing with that etc. He has given me and reminded me that waiting on the Lord is the most important thing but not just waiting but as we are waiting for God, to grow more in Him, not to sit back and wait for and answer but to follow hard after God.  This is one truth I have kept close to my heart, because I listen to sermons that pointed this out over and over again during my 19^th year! God works in GREAT ways! That is the main thing I am taking with me as I struggle and make my way into this world.

                I have gotten a lot of input on my decision on taking full time as a Certified Nursing Assistant and mostly possible not go back to college.  I have defiantly let what other people say, affect my decisions. My dad has been the most helpful in this big decision! He said something that I will always keep close to my heart! He said (paraphrasing)”” that if you believe this is what God wants you to do then do it with all you have. I don’t want you to do anything that God doesn’t call you to do! If he has called you to serve then serve and follow God with all your might! Don’t let anyone lead you away from what God has called you to do and be.””” I keep that close to me, because it’s so true and reminded me of God faithfulness to those who are faithful to him!

                My dear mother was a huge help for me, (in the physical sense) realizing what I needed to Do: to get to where I want to be. She kept telling me you can pray to God and trust him (the first thing of course not to less the value) but you have to GO AND DO IT ( see again the following hard after God)! I was praying and waiting and not DOING! One day she said to me: (Paraphrasing).”” Monique, you have decided  go  right into the work field so that means you are now entering into the adult world and need to do adult things and act like such. You have a job and bills and much more than people in your high school class because they are not choosing the path that you are. They are in school and don’t have steady job and will work later. Stop comparing yourself to them and do what you need to do, and act like an adult, which you are allowed to because that is the road you have chosen.””” That in itself just made me realize that is it in my power to do, to go and trust God. I can say I trust Him but if I don’t go and do then what faith is that? I need to throw myself into the work I believe he has called me into.

                In my conclusion, I want you to learn from my mistakes and follow HARD after Christ like it says in the Psalm 63! You defiantly can pray and wait on God but even while you wait, follow hard after God!   God can’t use you unless your willing to follow no matter what!

                This is what I have learned and I feel so prepared and safe in God and can go and do, what He is calling me to!

The reality is that even if you are following the ""wrong"" path ( I use that very lose because God will have you where He wants you to be at the time, so it's not nesesarrly wrong path, if you are a Child of the King) you are on, God will direct no matter what! Think of all the missionaries that thought God was calling them here and they worked hard where they thought God wanted them to be and things fell through and didn’t work out and God called them elsewhere and guess what they did… They were confused at first but the followed hard and strong anyway on the new path God put them on!  Even Paul in the New Testament is a great example to!  Missionaries I was thinking of were George Muller and Amy Carmichael! So, don’t be afraid of choosing the wrong path, God will direct your path if you trust in Him with your WHOLE heart, no matter where He puts you!