When I was approaching the end of the school year, I found myself asking God for a lot of wisdom for myself and my friends. We're in a season of making a lot of big life decisions, like where to live, when to get married, and how to navigate college life in general. It's a lot, and sometimes the not knowing has been really heavy for me. I'm an extreme planner, complete with spreadsheets and pie charts, and when I don't have the answers or details to a plan, I feel very anxious. God has been teaching me to let go of control, and my friends, that is a painful lesson!

But in the midst of those big decisions and unsure next steps, God was really helping learn how to seek Him for wisdom and direction. When the answer wasn't clear, His voice and encouragement brought me peace and security. In the midst of the waiting, my Father so graciously provided me baby steps of how to navigate that season and pursue His wisdom, and I'd love to share that with you today.

1. Come to the Lord surrendered, without your backup plans.

I mentioned I was a planner, and that includes making sure that I have enough backup plans to feel safe and secure. I struggle with idolizing control, and God so gently humbled me by telling me that He does not need my backup plans. He does not need my input or suggestions, because He is sovereign. The Lord's ways are better than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. When I come to Him with my already carefully crafted plan, I leave no room for His guidance or His plan at all, and I decide that my way is better. My way may be more comfortable, but it's not better than God's plan for me. We miss the wisdom we're asking for when what we're truly asking for is confirmation that our plan will work.

We must come to the Lord with our hands open, fully surrendered, and obedient to do whatever He asks us to. We can't make up our mind before we even pray, because in doing that, we take God out of the decision altogether.

2. Seek wisdom and prayer from wise counsel.

It's incredibly easy to become so consumed by our situation that we lose perspective of the bigger picture, and without perspective, we're navigating this decision or circumstance with blurry vision and fueling ourselves with emotion. None of those things lead to wise or submissive decision making, so it can be really helpful to bring in outside people who know you well and you trust to speak into you. Those people can also pray alongside you, which is incredibly powerful.

For me, I needed wise counsel when making a big decison about where to live for the upcoming school year. It was an incredibly overwhelming situation to navigate, but I called people who have lived more life than me and see it differently than I do. I do believe that if you have mature, godly parents or grandparents to call on, they are such vital resources that God has placed in your life for a reason. I called my mom almost every day for a week leading up to making this decision, bouncing off new information and details to consider, because I wanted to have someone who could bring clarity and advice. Those people will help ground you to prevent emotional decision making and spiraling.

I will caution, it's helpful to have more than one opinion, but too many opinions can make you feel even more overwhelmed. Choose a few people you truly trust and whose opinion you really value to help guide you. Not everyone needs to have a say, and not everyone can provide the biblical, godly advice you need. Use discernment in that.

3. Ask the Lord to show you the next right step, not the end result.

I like having every step to a plan, and have a concrete end goal to work towards. The unknown is scary to me, but sometimes, we don't get a choice of knowing. Even if we don't like it, God keeps certain things hidden for our good and our growth, and we have to remain submissive to Him in that. I found myself getting extremely discouraged by asking Him to show me the end result. I wanted to know who He wanted me to live with and where He wanted me to live, and I wanted Him to make that very clear to me. But, He didn't, and I felt like I was going nowhere.

So, I started asking that He would show me the next right step. I prayed for clarity on who to pursue as a roommate, when to reach out to certain apartment complexes for more information, and when to wait. I knew that God wasn't going to bring a sign telling me where to live (sadly), but I trusted that He would make my paths straight and help direct me, one step at a time. Sometimes I didn't even have complete clarity about a step, but I took it anyways, and surrendered the result, trusting that He would either help me continue or change directions.

This not only prevented me from becoming frustrated with God, but it helped me stay less overwhelmed by the situation as a whole. I needed to focus on one day at a time, one baby step at a time, rather than what felt like the mountain I needed to climb. I didn't have to have the answer, but just the next right move, and that was really encouraging to me. I could have peace waiting for God to direct me when to send an email, take a tour, or reach out to someone, and that helped me have peace in the grand scheme of things, too.

4. Remember that every season of waiting is preparing you for a harvest of spiritual fruit.

Waiting isn't fun. It often feels frustrating and stagnant, but I promise you (and reminding myself this too) that waiting is anything but stagnant. These are the seasons where we get to dig deep into our faith, rely on the Lord in a deeper way, and abide in the Holy Spirit. These are the seasons that God prepares us for what He has next, producing the fruit and character that helps us mature and reflect Christ more. It's uncomfortable because it's refining, but in our weakness, the Lord's glory can shine even more clearly.

I mentioned in a previous post that I had been praying that the Lord will help me become a godly, mature wife for Koa. Well, I shouldn't have been surprised when I started to experience seasons that would challenge me to grow in godliness and maturity! I am tired of growing sometimes, but I have to keep the faith and a big picture mentality. This season isn't wasted, my weariness isn't wasted, and the heaviness that I am experiencing as I'm pruned isn't wasted. It's all for a purpose, all for His glory, and I know that will be even bigger than what I can see right now, or at all on this side of heaven.

As you walk through a season of seeking and waiting for God to provide wisdom, I'd encourage you to ask Him to open your eyes to see what He's doing. Ask Him to reveal His character and the fruit He's producing in you. I've noticed that as I wait for discernment, I can struggle to hear His voice, but the Lord doesn't stop showing me who He is. Through certain situations, "smaller" answered prayers, people speaking into me, sermons, and more, God is always giving us glimpses of who He is and what He's doing. Don't miss those just because you're waiting for something different.

The Bible tells us that God loves to generously provide wisdom to those who ask Him. When we ask, He will not ignore our request! But, we must also come to Him with a fully surrendered heart posture, obedient and steadfast, instead of quickly jumping to our own assumptions, desires, or timelines. God will answer, but it may not be the answer we want. Even so, we can have confidence that the seasons of desperately and passionately seeking the Lord for wisdom and strength are the seasons that will produce the most fruit and character. It's not wasted, and God is always working behind the scenes, even if we can't see it just yet.

This post is one that the Lord is writing through me as I walk through this exact situation, and it is my prayer that it is encouraging and helpful for you! If there's a specific situation that I can be praying alongside you for, drop that in the comments below or send me an email at runtheraceblog@gmail.com, and I'd love to join you in prayer!