Focusing on What God is Doing by Tynea Lewis Tynea Lewis is a teacher turned work-from-home mom. She and her husband live in Pennsylvania with their two children, and they love spending time together at their family cabin. Tynea remembers loving to write as early as first grade. She has a heart for encouraging others in the midst of their messes. You can connect with her at her personal blog (www.tynea-lewis.com),
A few months ago, I received an email with an update about a ministry I follow. One statement in the email stood out to me, and I couldn’t help but think about how it applied to my own life. The ministry leader said, “I’m learning to worry less about where we are going and focus more on what God is doing.” It stopped me in my tracks and made me question if I have that same focus in my life. One year ago, my husband resigned from his teaching career to go back to school full time to receive a Master of Divinity degree and enter the world of ministry. He is halfway through the program, and one of the questions we get asked time and time again is what he’s going to do once he’s finished with school. It’s a legitimate question. People want to know about your plans and aspirations—and it’s great to have them, but it’s so easy for us to focus on what we’re going to do instead of what God is going to do through us. We want to have the answers. We want to have a plan. We want to know what the future is going to hold, so we know how to plan accordingly.
FAITH EVERY 22 | ON M AG A Z I N E N ACORNER ME
God has been using the events of 2020 to teach me many lessons—one of them being that we are not in control. Even when we think we are, all of our plans can unravel in the blink of an eye. There are always going to be things that come up that alter our plans along the way. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The upheaval in the world has been stretching for me. I’m a planner. I like to have my “t’s” crossed and my “i’s” dotted, but I realize that will only get me so far. And usually, it will get me discouraged when things don’t go according to plan. Focusing on what God is doing in this season of life instead of trying to plan out the future is powerful. When we get too consumed with the destination, we overlook the journey. We overlook the places God shows up right now and how he’s using each of us at this moment. My husband and I do not know where God will lead our family in this next season of life. Surprisingly, I’m okay with that uncertainty—which is completely out of character for me. That unexplainable peace has come from God. I’m excited to move out of the way and let God work in a way only he can work.
