I believe that God prepares us for whatever life events we encounter.  For myself, I see very clearly how God has used every experience to better prepare me for what life has dealt.  I was not able to see how these experiences would help me in the moment, it is hindsight that has allowed me to see how valuable each crazy step has been to my life thus far.  There were countless times when I wanted to alter what I knew was my path.  I stayed the course and have always believed that these crazy things that I did not want to do were important to my path in life.  In other words, I had faith that God’s intended path was far greater than what I had planned for myself.  Thus far, I have never been sorry for choosing God’s path.

How do I know my intended path?  I explore opportunities that arise no matter how crazy they seem to me personally.  I walk down the path until something causes a roadblock.  Many times I ask for proof that this is indeed the path God wants me to follow.  I might ask for something specific as in a sign.  When I was going to graduate school I had very little money.  I was a research assistant, which paid for my schooling and provided an extra $250 per month.  That $250 paid for my room with little left over for meals and extras.  I was a member of the sailing club which was planning to sail to the Bahamas.  For some reason, I felt that I was meant to go on that trip, but I had no funds to cover the expenses.  I prayed that I would have funding for the trip by a certain date if it was something that God intended me to do.   Shortly after I received a check in the mail from a former employer.  The check was for the amount of the sailing trip and I had not worked for that employer for many months.  I made a call to the employer and asked if the check was intended to be sent.  The employer said it was mine to cash.  It was clear to me that I was meant to go on that adventure. 

I often pray to God to put a roadblock in my way if I walk down the wrong path.  There have been times when I did not want to do something that was my intended path. I would specifically ask God not to let this happen unless it was indeed my intended path.  The most significant of these times was marrying my husband.  Now please don’t take this the wrong way.  I married my soulmate.  He was a perfect fit for me and we had an amazing life together.  If I had the chance to change our years together, I would not alter anything.  However, my husband was 30 years my senior.  Although it was clear to me that God had led him to me, I still was very nervous about living a significant part of my life alone.  I also knew I wanted children.  The impact that losing a father would have on the children would likely be significant.  I prayed that obstacles would prevent us from marrying if it was not my intended path.   The moment I said that prayer peace came over my entire body and stayed with me throughout our marriage until his sudden death.  Listening to what is meant to be instead of what you want is not always the easiest path, but it has led me to things much greater than I could have dreamed.

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