“One of the greatest obstacles we face in following Christ is the fear of the unknown. We yearn to know in advance the outcome of our obedience and where He is taking us, yet we are given only the assurance that He is with us and that He is in charge. And with that, we venture into the unknown with Him."
- David McCasland
Following God Into the Unknown
Life can truly be a blessing. But, it can also be a fearful adventure. Often, we are faced too many times with life situations that makes us have to make choices. And with those choices, they can create fear. For me, it's the fear of the unknown. The fear of failure. Most importantly, the fear of not holding up my promise to stay connected with God.
I'm leading a new chapter in my life. I'm happy to officially announce that I have enrolled with NASM - National Academy Of Sports Medicine to become a Certified Personal Trainer - CPT! This is a big deal for me because this has been a passion of mine back in 2012 when I was physically active and wanted to pursue a more healthier career and become a personal trainer.
However, my pursuit changed when I married my wife in 2013. Bills collected and a second job took hold of my life, and I stopped working out, which eventually made me put my ambitions on hiatus. Often times, I look back and I regret and didn't just take the plunge and go into it. What I know now is that it wasn't my time and I wasn't ready and I'm grateful for that, because I know God was protecting me and letting me know my time wasn't then.
They always say that when you follow God and you let him in, you'll know when he's talking to you. Often times, I have struggled with that. But not anymore. There's been several key factors that have gotten me to this point in my life, and they all have been in prayers to God and knowing the answers when I recognized them. It's all part of being connected and aligning myself with Him.
The other day, I said my morning prayers and I asked Him to please let me know that what I'm doing is the right path He set forth for me. Later on in the day, through a Facebook ad, I saw a link to NASM. The reason this is important is because I vaguely talked about it with my wife about wanting to be a CPT, but I never researched it again online, that I can recall, that would trigger an ad from FB. Anyone who knows how FB ads work, they are triggered by web searches and keywords typed in FB and/or your phone if you allow permission for the app to read information from other apps, Google Search being one of the them.
It was interesting to see this ad, and I knew this was a sign that God was providing to let me know that this is what He wants me to pursue. Timing was everything and it made me realize that I needed God's guidance to help me pursue being a CPT at the right time in my life. And so I plunged in and enrolled today. It was a great feeling, but then the other aspect of a new venture started to reveal itself. FEAR.
I have to admit, I'm a bit fearful of this new path I'm being led into. As He walks with me in the wilderness and guides me while I'm lost, I feel as though I may be coming to and openness out it. But, I'm fearful of where I'll be at next, because I've never been here. I don't know what's going to happen and where it will lead me now. For all I know, it may just be another part of the forest that's deeper and denser than what I'm experiencing now. But, I'm okay with that. Because I know that I have a guide. And I know that whatever fears I have going down this path, will be calmed by Him.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua 1:9
So I'm excited, and fearful at the same time. At the earliest, I could be done with the course in 10 weeks. I start September 26th and adding this to the my agenda, I now have a lot on my plate. New ventures means old ones may come to an end. For now, I'll leave that open until I have my answers on what to do next. But what I do know is that I'm ready for the challenge, and ready to continue to live a healthier life and soon be able to help others conquer their fears and struggles and live healthier lives too - mind, body, and spirit.
God Bless.
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