Lately, I’ve been having this series of existential crises, those “What am I doing with my life?!” freak-out sessions of ranting and frantic heavy-breathing and banging my head against walls because I literally have no idea in the world what’s gonna go on with my future.
It’s…exhausting.
I’ve been talking a lot with my amazing parents and my amazing friends about the whole thing, and they’ve tirelessly said Amanda, stop. Breathe. It’s gonna be okay, God’s in control, you’ll figure it out, God’s plan will prevail, and you don’t need to worry.
But they’ve also said one thing that has really stood out to me, and if you’re in any similar situation, I hope it’ll help you too.
Don’t worry about the future, but focus on today.
Life’s made up of a whole lot of todays. If you live for seventy years, that’s over twenty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty todays.
25,550.
We can try our best, but we honestly cannot plan where exactly we’ll be in ten years, or five, or even two. Because life can change in an instant – and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
When you wake up in the morning, don’t stress over if you’ll have that dream job by the end of next year, but instead, do that thing you feel God has called you to do for today. Just today.
Some days, it’ll be a profound thing. It’ll be finishing writing that draft of the book, or submitting those job applications, or acing that big test, and that’ll be amazing.
But other days, it’ll be a small thing. It’ll be spending time with your family, or texting a friend that needs a listening ear, or it’ll be responding to emails, or studying for a small, insignificant course, or exercising when you really don’t feel like it.
Those big things are important, but the small ones are too, because they bring us to where we need to be.
Because oftentimes, in the smallest and quietest of moments, we hear God’s voice.
His voice that tells us, “Never forget that I love you, and you are exactly where I have for you to be.”
“You’re doing what you love? You’re doing the right thing.”
“You’ve found one of many things that I have put on your heart to enjoy? Wonderful.”
“You don’t know what you should be doing, I know. But keep depending on me, and I promise that I will show you.”
Sometimes we feel like we need that validation that we’re doing the right thing, but if we’re following the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives for that day, we already are doing the right thing.
It’s great to make goals, to scrawl to-do lists, to even make five-year plans. Those are good things, but we cannot let ourselves be bound by them.
Do what’s right for today.
Don’t fret over the future where it’s uncontrollable – live today.
Today.
Next year’s todays may be a little different than these ones. And that’s fine.
Because as we trust God to lead us to do the right things for these todays, we need to trust that He’ll lead us to the right thing for next year’s todays and the todays that are coming for us in ten years.
It’ll be okay, really. And not because we know what we’re doing – but because God knows what He’s doing.
Because God is faithful.
Because He is trustworthy.
Because we all have different seasons of life we’re in and God promises to be with us through every single one.
So, today? Live well. Love well. Take a breath, and just trust.
Life’s simpler than we think.
Scattered Journal Pages 
Yessss ❤
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❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Love this. One of those lessons that you just keep learning over and over again. Praise God that He is patient!
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Ahh, thanks, Leah. Absolutely…it’s a simple concept but takes me seemingly forever to fully wrap my head around. Yes, He is so good!
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Yes! ❤ Thank you so much for sharing, Amanda!
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Oh, you’re so welcome, Emily! ❤
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Yep, yep, yep. I’m in one of those can’t-think-of-anything-profound-to-say moods, but yes.
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Hehehe, no worries. 😉
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Completely agree. I get too lost in the “BUT IF I WANT TO BE THERE IN FIVE YEARS, WHAT AM I DOING TODAY TO GET THERE?!” panic… and sometimes that literally just means finishing a paper so I don’t have to get an extension on a course so I don’t have to delay my graduation. Thanks for the reminder that that’s okay. 🙂
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I FEEL YOU. And yes, yes. Absolutely — it’s making the best of the time we’re given today, and not fretting over what’ll happen later on. Today’s faithfulness leads to next year’s great things without us worrying so much. Thanks for commenting, Ashley!
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Absolutely agree! 🙂
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Amanda, today is The tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
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That is a great insight — and it’s also challenging to us to live out what yesterday we planned to do “tomorrow!” Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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Oh, so timely, Amanda! Thank you for sharing your heart here.
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I’m so glad, Carla. ❤ Thank you for reading; it means the world!
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Oh wow another inspiring post from a beautiful friend. ❤ This is something I've been struggling with as well recently – so this was absolutely perfect to be able to read this amazing encouragement. Thanks so much Amanda!
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Oh Ashley, this comment encouraged me so much. ❤ Thank YOU, sweet friend!
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Amen! Sometimes it’s a hard lesson to learn though – resting in God, and doing what He’s put in front of you for the day. Thanks for the encouragement and reminder, and keep trusting Him! He’s got great plans for your future. xx
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Yes, it’s definitely not an easy thing to learn. And thank you for your sweet, sweet comment – it encouraged ME!
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So so good! I am very much the big picture person, always looking towards tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. I often forget I am right where I am supposed to be, and I miss so much of the seemingly unimportant things! Thanks for sharing your heart, Amanda! God bless you! ❤
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Same here! Haha, we’re so alike. 😉 Thank you, dear girl!
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Well apparently I missed this post BUT IT’S SO GOOD. ACK. I THINK I’M GOING TO REREAD IT NOW. XD
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AAAAH THANK YOU. XD Haha wow.
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