How Did You Figure Out What God's Plan Was For You

[princessgianna]

So I know I shouldn't be but I am worried about my future.

I have a couple ideas on what I think I would like to do. I am afraid that I a)won't get a good enough SAT and ACT score to get in to the college b) pay for it. c)be disappointed if I turn out to have a boring and/or (IMHO)senselss job doing something less then exciting.

I am working part time and putting that check into the bank. But come on. Will it still be enough when college comes? Some days it feels like mere pennies.

So I am wondering if any one else had/has this problem. And how did you figure out what God wanted you to do. I should put it in for consideration that Mr. Right may never come.

I know this is trival. I guess I am just frusterated.


Thanks for at least letting me run my rant.
PG

[missionseeker]

I still don't know what God wants of me. I am taking 11 classes and working 20 or hours a week on top of extra choir things in place that I hate the flatness and swampiness of. I was at a school where I could graduate with almost no debt, take 5 classes and work 10 hours a week in a place with mountains. I now have more than 15K in debt. I know that God has SOMETHING planned, and I know that I am supposed to be here. But it's sometimes hard to sit back and not worry. And it's even harerd sometimes to not be mad at God for "dragging me out here and putting me in a very overwhelming place with lots of debt." (then add that I am dating someone in Canada and I really wonder what was God thinking.)I'm actually having a real problem with this right now.

I find that for me, the key is to not think about the future's uncertainty too much. I may be run ragged by the end of the semester. But right now, I am ok, I have work, I can pay my bills, I am finding things that I enjoy in all of my classes and if things go well, I may get to go see Jeff soonish. If I think about how uncertain things are I start to doubt everything: why I am here? Is this worth it? Is it a good idea to be in a relationship with so much distance and only a few affordable visits? So try to focus on what is good and what you can see God providing for you. Sometimes it's tough. Sometimes you'd rathergive up. But if you know that God is watching over you and will make sure you get what you need, if you can focuson that in some tangible small way, it may help.

I was actually just thinking about it. and I posted this: http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=98248

[princessgianna]

thanks. I feel a bit better already!

[Resurrexi]

I can't offer any advice, but I do hope that you successfully discern God's will!

Edited September 3, 2009 by Resurrexi

[CatherineM]

First advice, there is a big difference between studying something and doing it as a profession. For example, majoring in Forestry was great fun, lots of time in the woods, got to play with really cool toys, but, there were no jobs when I graduated, especially for women.

Second advice, just because you are good at something doesn't mean you were meant to do it. I was a really good lawyer, but hated it most of the time, and only went to law school because I felt pressure from my family on one side, and hopelessness of finding a job or graduate position on the other side.

Third advice, except for a few things like law or medicine, you don't really go to college to make money. A good plumber makes more money than a High School principal. If you don't know what you want to do with your life, there is nothing wrong with putting off school and getting some real life experience so that you can figure out what your passion is going to be. On the other hand, taking some general classes in college can also introduce you to things you'd never have thought of or been exposed to. As an example, as a child of the prairies, I was never exposed to an opportunity to get interested in something like marine biology.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with changing careers or professions as you get older. Some people do it several times. If you don't have it all figured out by the time you are 20, it won't be the end of the world.

[cappie]

I strongly believe that God is personally involved and concerned about each person on earth. Because God cares if the sparrow falls to the ground (Matt. 10:29) and if a single strand of our hair turns white” (Matt. 5:36), I believe God is interested in the decisions that you and I make. Scripture assures us we are valued even more than sparrows (Luke 12:7). God has preferences regarding the choices we make and wants to reveal those preferences to us. However, God will not force them on us. God wills that we freely choose them. Thus, making wise and loving choices requires discernment.

Prayer is at the heart of discernment. Cultivating a life of prayer, not just in times of crisis, but on a regular basis takes time. It takes time to learn to listen, really listen, to God in prayer and not merely ask God to listen to you. This spending time together requires both honesty and patience as you wait to hear what God might be saying to you. Make a daily appointment with God. God may not always speak in the quiet of your solitude. Oftentimes, God will answer through a friend, a co-worker, a family member, the events of daily life, or even your vocation director. Without daily prayerful recollection, you might not be aware or open to the presence of God in your everyday life.

Becoming sensitive to God’s presence in your midst demands an interior attentiveness, an element of stillness, which is nurtured in the silence of your heart. Prayer and reflection can help in exploring motivations and recognizing interiorly felt movements.It is crucial to pay attention to your feelings and articulate them to a trusted friend or confidante. Likewise, its important to know the desires of your heart as you contemplate what God wants of you.

[Archaeology cat]

I agree with what Catherine said. Archaeology is extremely fun to study (IMHO), and I love field work, but field work doesn't pay unless you get a university or museum to back you, and I'm physically incapable of doing field work any more. There's also contract archaeology, but I absolutely hate that. There is the option of a museum, but you usually need some museum studies courses for that. I don't regret my archaeology degrees for an instant, though.

As for deciding where to go, I knew I wanted to study archaeology, and so the first thing I did was see what unis offered an archaeology major - none in my state did at the time. I also looked at other things I wanted, like a smaller campus where there's a smaller ratio between students and faculty, and where there were some good Christian groups on campus. All this led me to a rather expensive private university, but I loved UE and would go there again. They gave me an academic scholarship, and I did work study, and I was able to pay for the first year. My grandfather paid for one year, as he had given each of us a trust. And then I had loans for the last year and a half (in addition to work study for part of that time). I personally don't regret any of that, though of course I'd rather not have the debt.

[picchick]

God has a knack of making His plan known.

I went to college with the money I had in my bank account. I had some financial aid. My plan was to Major in Health Science pre-med and minor in music. My second year into it, my dad said that med school was not going to happen in my future. I had to totally revamp my thoughts and dreams and figure out what I was going to do. God put the right people in my life and slowly paths were made clear. Looking back I am amazed at how clear they were. When I was in it it didn't seem that way. I went into nursing and I know that this is where I am suppose to be.

I paid for all my college. Just when I thought I had to take out a loan, I recieved money to finish out college. I am very blessed.

[Theoketos]

Just do your best, work hard, and trust in God. Eventually everything works out.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Theoketos' date='03 September 2009 - 01:13 PM' timestamp='1251980025' post='1960291']
Just do your best, work hard, and trust in God. Eventually everything works out.
[/quote]

[StColette]

[quote name='Theoketos' date='03 September 2009 - 08:13 AM' timestamp='1251980025' post='1960291']
Just do your best, work hard, and trust in God. Eventually everything works out.
[/quote]

I agree.


I would like to add that if you didn't know this already but the avg. college student changes their major around three times. Usually they aren't as drastic as mine (Veterinary Med. to Theology lol). So... when selecting a job to study for be sure it's one you're going to love doing. How much someone is going to be making is often the reason why people pick a certain career. A lot of time those people are absolutely miserable in their jobs. So pick something you're gonna love. I love Theology and though it doesn't generate the big bucks it can be used in a number of different jobs.

There's always a way to pay for it, if it's something you really want to do. I worked full time (40+ a wk) and did 18 credit hours a week to go to college. But hey it was worth it. I knew it was where God was calling me and I was willing to sacrifice all I could to do it. Sometimes doing what God is calling you to do means doing things you don't like doing, like taking out student loans.

Don't worry too much about SAT or ACT. You can take those tests several times. I took it three times. My first two didn't go so well, but they taught me what to expect on the test. I ended up scoring very well my third time around. So... I was take the test a few times.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Theoketos' date='03 September 2009 - 08:13 AM' timestamp='1251980025' post='1960291']
Just do your best, work hard, and trust in God. Eventually everything works out.
[/quote]
I completely agree.

One of the best bits of advice I got was to do what is set before you. We don't get to see miles ahead on our journey, but we can usually see what's right in front of us. Only in retrospect do things become clearer -- and even then you don't always completely understand how things happened in the way they did. It's never bad to plan for the future, but just realize that when you make plans things will often not turn out remotely like you anticipate they might.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='princessgianna' date='02 September 2009 - 10:39 PM' timestamp='1251945582' post='1960201']
So I know I shouldn't be but I am worried about my future.

I have a couple ideas on what I think I would like to do. I am afraid that I a)won't get a good enough SAT and ACT score to get in to the college b) pay for it. c)be disappointed if I turn out to have a boring and/or (IMHO)senselss job doing something less then exciting.

I am working part time and putting that check into the bank. But come on. Will it still be enough when college comes? Some days it feels like mere pennies.

So I am wondering if any one else had/has this problem. And how did you figure out what God wanted you to do. I should put it in for consideration that Mr. Right may never come.

I know this is trival. I guess I am just frusterated.


Thanks for at least letting me run my rant.
PG
[/quote]

In the words of St. Pio: "Pray, hope and don't worry." I believe God's plan, just like God Himself is simple, it is we who make things more complicated. If we only listen and follow humbly, rather, than questioning everything He asks of us, our lives would not be easier but they would be filled with much more joy. All too often, our response is not the simple response of Mary, "Be it done unto me according to Your Word," but, rather, who, what, why, where, when and how? Questions that, in the larger scheme, are not as important as the only question, "will you follow me?"

Perhaps, if I had heeded my own advice I would have been a priest even sooner, but that is neither here nor there, what is important now is to live that same perpetual "yes" that Mary teaches us to live.

[Groo the Wanderer]

For what its worth....

I have majored in computer science, history, management, and information technology. I am turning 40 in about a month and at that time will finally finish the degree I started back in 1987. I am STILL not sure what I will be when I grow up.


So...I take life as it goes, try to listen for God's call and follow it where it may lead. Turned out great once I stopped resisting and let Him lead.


God Bless!

[tinytherese]

I hate the SATs and ACTs with such a passion! So I understand where you're coming from there. Don't get bogged down by standardized tests. Some people are just bad at them but do really well in college. I've always had a hard time in standardized tests. The highest ACT I got was only an 18 after trying three times and I made the Dean's List my first semester of college and eventually the President's List.

In some schools they do have the scores as a factor but some of them are more lenient if you don't have the listed requirement. You can take them more than once anyway and if you don't do so hot after multiple tries you can always do community college for awhile and then transfer somewhere else. Community college in general saves money anyway no matter what you score.

Also, I thought I'd promote the school I attended- Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri. It's a small two year college for women. It's not a Catholic one but I grew very much in my faith there because it was challenged and I even got to evangelize there. Heck I started a chastity club and as my mom told me I may never know the full impact of what I did will change people's lives. As far as paying for it though, the price might scare you but there really are a lot of scholarships available out there for girls to go. If you're interested PM me and I can give you an inside scoop, stuff that ambassadors or "golden keys" as we call them won't tell you, particularly from a Catholic perspective and just helpful tips in general. No school is perfect and no school is for everyone though. I was planning on entering a convent right out of high school but God had other plans- beautiful plans that I didn't expect I would take part in.