Are you running too fast?

One thing that I have learned over the past few years is this:

Don't run ahead of the Lord!

Let's face it, we are an impatient society who thinks they know what is best, especially when everything happens without effort, so why wait?  Right?

Here's an example:

When I completed my bachelor's degree years ago, I was immediately accepted into a master's program at the same university.  The glorious thing about this acceptance is that unlike most graduate program where students must take the GRE exam, submit essays, and interview in order to apply, I did not have to jump through these hurdles.  I chalk this unusual circumstance to the fact that the professors and department knew me from my undergraduate work and so they were satisfied with my application and interview only.  

So, my first day of graduate school comes.  I am sitting in my first class where the professor is going over all that is required, and the Lord decides to have a conversation with me in my mind.  Basically this is what happens:

The Lord begins,"This is not where you need to be right now."

"What? How could it not be?  You provided this opportunity so easily for me."

"Yes, and now that you know you qualify for graduate school, I need you to focus on something else."

"Whatever it is, I can do it and my schooling.  I don't want to miss out on this."

"Not right now."

I cannot even begin to tell you what the professor talked about during that class period.  I will tell you that at that time in my life I also had a high leadership calling in church that kept me really busy, my university was an hour away (if there was no California traffic---wait, that happens?), and my husband and I had been trying for over a year to have a baby. Many people thought our only child at the time was going to be our only child.  Running too fast?  

Bless my husband for being the kind of person that when the Lord speaks he knows that we listen. So, after much talking and prayer, I dropped out of the graduate program I was so easily accepted into.  The next month I was pregnant!  Fifteen years later I am back in graduate school!  

I could share more experiences like this where I have tried to run ahead of the Lord, but I won't. However, I will say this, "Let's save ourselves some long term heartache by doing things His way and not our own.  In his timing.  In his glory."