BROADCASTS.com

b'As a young child, I dreamed of many variations of my future: a ballerina (which I was told I could never accomplish), or a nurse who flies in helicopters to help with medical emergencies, or an environmentalist who protects God\\u2019s creation. I also fantasized about opening a shop that sold used books, bouquets of flowers, and had a caf\\xe9. I had a vivid imagination.\\n\\n\\n\\nNone of these aspirations have come true. As time went by, I changed my mind about what I would pursue for my future. I studied environmental biology, but I never established a career in that field.\\n\\n\\n\\nI also dreamed of being a missionary\\u2014something God did give me opportunities to do. I served for twenty-two years in a mission organization, sharing the gospel as I lived on three different continents. Something I didn\\u2019t imagine doing with my life though? Becoming a writer. Now, my writing has been published in a number of different magazines.\\n\\n\\n\\nWhen we follow Jesus, our lives often\\u2014or, honestly, almost always\\u2014turn out differently than we expect. When we give our hearts to Jesus, trusting in His death and resurrection to pay for our sins and provide eternal life, we begin a relationship with God our Father. We also start a journey on His path, running the race God has marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1-3). As we live in Christ, His Spirit lives in us, teaching us and leading us in God\\u2019s ways.\\n\\n\\n\\nSo, as we continue to dream and set goals, we can trust those hopes and desires to our wise Lord who has mighty plans for us, whose good purposes will prevail. \\u2022 Allison Wilson Lee\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u2022 What are some of your hopes, dreams, or plans for the future? Do you feel like you can trust God with these important things? Why or why not?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u2022 Have you ever had your dreams put down by other people? This is a painful thing, and Jesus feels these hurts with us. He is kind and trustworthy, and He invites us to open our hearts to receive His healing. Consider taking a moment to bring Him any hurts that come to mind.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u2022 Have you ever felt like you needed to know exactly what you wanted your adult life to be like? That\\u2019s a pressure a lot of us have felt, but God doesn\\u2019t expect us to be able to plan out our future. Instead, He promises to be with us through everything, and He invites us to rely on Him as we face one decision at a time. How might this be a freer way to live life?\\n\\n\\n\\nMany are the plans in a person\\u2019s heart, but it is the Lord\\u2019s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)\\xa0\\n\\n\\n\\nREAD: PSALM 37:1-7; PROVERBS 16:1-9; 19:20-22'