Written by Noah Humprey
Recently, I have been preparing my physical therapy application. There are many boxes to fill, experiences to log, and essays to write. Soon, I will submit the application and go through a series of interviews. This is quite an anxious process for me, as there is no guarantee that I’ll be accepted anywhere.
The school I attend will certainly affect where I will be when I launch my career. Sometimes, I’m tempted to wish that God would come and just tell me what His plan is for my life. It would be nice to know which doors will open, what program will accept me, and where my career might go. However, I have a sneaking suspicion this will not happen.
We have a desire to know. We want to see a glimpse at what the future holds so that we can prepare. We want to know that we are ready for any challenges that might come our way. We want to know what God is going to do and when it will happen. At the center of this desire to know, often, is the calculation of whether God’s plan is worth continuing. Yet, the peace and joy of Christianity comes not from knowing every detail of the plans of God, but from coming to know the goodness of His love and character. In John 15, Jesus eloquently shows us our position in the parable of the vine and the branches. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear