Dec. 31st – the Seventh day of Christmas —“Find my will for you.” — The Twelve Days of Christmas

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.  When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,  I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:11-14

If you are like me, sometimes you ask yourself, “Am I doing what God wants me to do?” I struggled with deciding to go to Seminary for many years – almost ten – wondering if this was my will or the will of G-d. Maybe you wonder about whether your career is the right one for you, or if you are being called to take a break from your career to care for children or aging parents, or to follow the voice of G-d down some different professional path.

Finding G-d’s will in our lives involves seeking G-d’s wisdom to understand what to do — asking G-d to help lay out a plan to accomplish it including using our strengths willingly and gracefully. This means accepting the changes that are inherent in such a decision. Although I sometimes wondered if I had made the right decision, I learned to trust G-d that there was a greater plan and greater will moving me along on my path.

I am grateful for the path that G-d has taken me on so far, and

I keep asking G-d to guide my current situation and to help me navigate the turns and twists that are coming up. And I pray for the grace and wisdom to listen.

If you are wondering what G-d’s will is for your life, perhaps you can consider first what you like most about your life right now? What do you like least? And then consider what does finding G-d’s will in your life—personally, professionally, and for your family—mean for you? It all starts with considering, praying and discerning. It takes time – but G-d will answer those prayers.

Pastor Dave