August 12th, 2020
By Andrea Targonski
For as long as I can remember, my favorite scripture verse has been Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
I’ve always loved this verse, not necessarily because it paints a rosy picture of life-long well being for Christians, but for someone who struggles with uncertainty and anxiety about the future, it has always been so comforting to know that God KNOWS the plans for me. This has always been reassuring to me, in difficult times, or when I am not sure why I am on a certain path. I often think about people who don’t have faith and how difficult it must be to live without that truth.
As most of you know by now, I recently resigned as the nursery school director here at St. John’s, effective in September. An opportunity was brought to me and it was quite unexpected. When I accepted the nursery school position in March 2017, I believed God had me where He wanted me until retirement. After all, I had prayed hard at every step of the hiring process and had others praying for me as well. I settled into the position, and felt like we were doing great things for His kids.
When the other opportunity came up, I prayed before even submitting my resume. I felt God nudging me towards at least seeing where it went. I spoke to people I trust and respect and asked them to pray as well. But I believed God still wanted me at St. John’s Christian Nursery School. Even after moving through the interview process, I was totally blindsided by an offer. Because, even though we all know an interview usually leads to a job offer or a rejection, I still fully believed God’s plans for me included staying at St. John’s for the long haul.
Being the Type A, detail-oriented person I am, I made a pro/con list. I wrote down everything I could think of. Factual pros and emotional cons. After putting everything on paper, it occurred to me that it didn’t really matter which side had more pros or cons. I belonged in prayer. God has plans for me that don’t necessarily include a nice office or a certain number of vacation days. I went to the Lord with a heavy heart, because, while I was honored to have been extended an offer, I loved my current job. Surely God wouldn’t take me from something I loved and felt passionate about. I again talked to my prayer warriors and asked them to pray for a sign either way. One of those dear people told me not to pray for a sign, but to pray for peace about staying or leaving.
Once I changed my mindset to one of a prayer for peace, I found that God was putting the pieces in place for the other opportunity. While it isn’t what I thought I would choose, it seemed clear that it was what God’s plans were for me. I could never have predicted COVID-19 or anything else that has happened in 2020, and I surely wouldn’t have foreseen leaving St. John’s, but God’s got me in the palm of His hand. As the sign on my nightstand reads, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow.”
How amazing to think that, amidst all of the turmoil in the world today, God knows exactly what His plans are for you. That, no matter what you encounter, you can have hope because He will help you get through it. Professionally and personally, physically and emotionally, God has GREAT plans for you. It may not be the path you thought you’d take, but God knows what He’s doing better than we ever could!
I encourage you to meditate on Jeremiah 29:11. Consider praying and asking if you’re where God wants you to be. You may get unexpected answers, signs or feelings of peace, but God won’t let you down, I promise!
For as long as I can remember, my favorite scripture verse has been Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
I’ve always loved this verse, not necessarily because it paints a rosy picture of life-long well being for Christians, but for someone who struggles with uncertainty and anxiety about the future, it has always been so comforting to know that God KNOWS the plans for me. This has always been reassuring to me, in difficult times, or when I am not sure why I am on a certain path. I often think about people who don’t have faith and how difficult it must be to live without that truth.
As most of you know by now, I recently resigned as the nursery school director here at St. John’s, effective in September. An opportunity was brought to me and it was quite unexpected. When I accepted the nursery school position in March 2017, I believed God had me where He wanted me until retirement. After all, I had prayed hard at every step of the hiring process and had others praying for me as well. I settled into the position, and felt like we were doing great things for His kids.
When the other opportunity came up, I prayed before even submitting my resume. I felt God nudging me towards at least seeing where it went. I spoke to people I trust and respect and asked them to pray as well. But I believed God still wanted me at St. John’s Christian Nursery School. Even after moving through the interview process, I was totally blindsided by an offer. Because, even though we all know an interview usually leads to a job offer or a rejection, I still fully believed God’s plans for me included staying at St. John’s for the long haul.
Being the Type A, detail-oriented person I am, I made a pro/con list. I wrote down everything I could think of. Factual pros and emotional cons. After putting everything on paper, it occurred to me that it didn’t really matter which side had more pros or cons. I belonged in prayer. God has plans for me that don’t necessarily include a nice office or a certain number of vacation days. I went to the Lord with a heavy heart, because, while I was honored to have been extended an offer, I loved my current job. Surely God wouldn’t take me from something I loved and felt passionate about. I again talked to my prayer warriors and asked them to pray for a sign either way. One of those dear people told me not to pray for a sign, but to pray for peace about staying or leaving.
Once I changed my mindset to one of a prayer for peace, I found that God was putting the pieces in place for the other opportunity. While it isn’t what I thought I would choose, it seemed clear that it was what God’s plans were for me. I could never have predicted COVID-19 or anything else that has happened in 2020, and I surely wouldn’t have foreseen leaving St. John’s, but God’s got me in the palm of His hand. As the sign on my nightstand reads, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow.”
How amazing to think that, amidst all of the turmoil in the world today, God knows exactly what His plans are for you. That, no matter what you encounter, you can have hope because He will help you get through it. Professionally and personally, physically and emotionally, God has GREAT plans for you. It may not be the path you thought you’d take, but God knows what He’s doing better than we ever could!
I encourage you to meditate on Jeremiah 29:11. Consider praying and asking if you’re where God wants you to be. You may get unexpected answers, signs or feelings of peace, but God won’t let you down, I promise!
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