In college, you can follow the breadcrumbs instead.
I was scrolling on LinkedIn when I began to feel like absolute crap. With each second I scrolled, I saw a new post about someone’s job opportunity. Someone’s summer internship. Someone’s prestigious career move.
I wasn’t happy for these people, to be honest with you. Instead, I looked at this and asked myself one common question.
What the heck are you doing with your life?!
I’m a junior in college. 2nd semester, to be exact. And ya know what that means? The real world is really starting to hit. The dirty three letter word, J-O-B, is becoming a reality.
My friends and I frequently have
You may find yourself, right now, in the same position. And LinkedIn is becoming more of a shot to your self-esteem than a fun way to encourage others. You refresh your email almost every free minute you have, to see if any of your dream companies have gotten back to you about your job application. You applied to 100 jobs, and have only heard back from one, and it was a maybe.
It’s a wonder why college students are stressed.
But despite the empty inboxes, the shot self-esteem, and the many question marks we have – we need to realize one thing. That even if we can’t see God moving, it doesn’t mean he’s not working for our good.
Most of the work God does is behind the scenes. What we cannot see.
So how do we live in this in-between space of where we are now, and where God wants us to be? I’ve found three steps that work for me, and could work for you too.
1. Release.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to figure everything out at the ripe age of 21. Or, at least I do. I get down on myself for not have a 5-year plan, and I wonder why God isn’t giving me a distinct path to go on. It leads me to question his goodness and his plan for me, and I wonder if he is even in my life at all.
The truth is, we don’t need to figure everything out. God gives you and me the freedom to let go of control.
This anxiety was weighing so hard on me, that one day I just looked at God and said I give up. I give up trying to strive. I surrender all my expectations of what my future is supposed to look like. And I release all of this to you.
It’s like this weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I could finally breathe. For the first time, I let go of a huge weight that was never mine to carry.
When we quit trying to control everything, this is when God can finally lead us down the right path.
2. Follow the breadcrumbs.
So after we release our expectations to God, this does not mean we drop out of school, become a hippie, and go on a hitch-hiking hiatus. Instead of throwing the towel in, we can follow where God is leading us.
And a great way to do that is to follow the breadcrumbs.
Breadcrumbs = blessings.
Look at your life, and consider what God is
Where are the breadcrumbs leading you? Breadcrumbs in life are literal beams of light and open doors that lead you down a distinct path. And breadcrumbs go to what God is directly blessing.
If you don’t have any breadcrumbs right now, pray for some. They will not get you to the destination immediately, but they will lead you on the right path.
3. Get to work
Even though he is leading you, not every breadcrumb is going to taste good. Some of them are going to be a bit soggy. Meaning, some are going to look a lot more like a difficulty than a gift.
In fact, it may look like something we don’t want to do: hard work.
“‘Yes, get to work!
Haggai 2:4-5For I am with you.’ The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.'”
It’s not enough to be led to opportunities and open doors for the path you’re supposed to be on. You actually have to work too.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison
It is good to work. In fact, it is God-honoring to work hard. We can cultivate what God has given us, and focus our putting work to that instead of putting our work into worrying about the future.
Leave the results up to him.
I heard once that we are responsible for the work, but God is responsible for the results.
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:21 NLV)
Even if your hard work or perceived breadcrumb leads to a rejection, I can rest in the fact that wasn’t the path God has me on.
When you are making an effort to give up control, follow the breadcrumbs, and work hard – you are for sure going to get where God wants you to go.
So no, this was not the answer to where you are going to end up in 20 years. It wasn’t the answer to what your purpose is.
But it just may a way to walk in step with God and trust the plan he has for you.
No matter how silent he is right now, he made you for a distinct purpose. He has plans for you, assignments for you specifically to complete. Your future is not doomed because you don’t have all the answers.
We don’t need to figure everything out. Instead, we can follow the breadcrumbs, and slowly but surely, we will be lead to exactly where we were supposed to be.
The answers rest in his grace, in his plan, and in his love for you. Walking with him is the fun part of it. When we walk in step with him, listening for his guidance, he will surely lead us on the right path. And we may even enjoy some yummy breadcrumbs along the way.
