Not In My Job Description

When my daughter was about 8 - 10 years old, she started talking about attending a certain college. Since we had never really talked about this specific college, or really expressed to her any strong ties to any other college, it seemed a bit "odd".

By the time she was in 8th grade, she was completing a scholarship application which required her to state which college she wanted to attend and why. It was very clear by that point that she had her heart set on this particular college, so I decided that perhaps a visit was in order because this college might not be at all what she thought it was, and, if not, better to get it out of her system sooner rather than later, so she could keep her mind - and her options - open. ... But, much to my surprise, the campus was beautiful, the tour was uniquely tailored specifically to her interests, and the atmosphere was so friendly and welcoming, it was hard not to fall in love with it.

Over the next 3 years, the decision about which college to attend has become more and more difficult; she is not the same person she was in 8th grade, and there are so many other colleges and other opportunities out there that it can be an overwhelming decision. In addition, she has a lot of well-intentioned people either subtly or not so subtly weighing in on the decision. Still, over the past 3 years, this particular college keeps coming up repeatedly, in very "unusual" ways, and from many unique and varying sources; it sure seems as if she is continually being directed back to it. ... And that has made it very hard for me to keep my mouth shut!

I genuinely believe God has a plan for her life, and I am genuinely open to any college He may have in mind for her ... large, small, public, private, Christian, or secular. My words are not based upon my own research or opinion, but on a genuine desire to seek God's will and follow it. He knows her better than I do ... better than anyone else possibly can; He created her! And He knows who she was in 8th grade, who she is now, who she will be in 4 years, and, more importantly, who He created her to be. There isn't a better "Guidance Counselor" on the planet.

But, at this point, probably the biggest obstacle she will have to overcome in her decision-making process is ME! If God is really directing her to this college, the more I talk about it, point it out to her, or try to convince her of it, the more she hears my voice and the less she hears His.

I have learned over the years that it is not my job to be the Holy Spirit for anyone else ... not my kids, not my family, not my friends. And crossing that invisible line just causes me to become a stronghold for them; my desire should always be for my friends and family to develop and nurture their own relationship with God, not to rely on me for wisdom and advice. If God chooses to speak to them through me, that is His choice ... but it comes from Him and not from me.

Another college came up recently - one that had never even come up on the radar before. And I could see my daughter being ridiculously happy there. It is one she probably never would have considered if she hadn't visited the original college back in 8th grade. Who knows what God has in store? Perhaps He has been using this other, local, college to narrow her options and direct her to this out-of-state university. ... All I know is, from this point forward, I need to plead the 5th Amendment, and SHUT UP! I have equipped her well to hear from God herself; she doesn't need an interpreter!

© I Lift My Voice, 2015.