CTI- God's Provision

It is good and comforting for the most part to have things planned out. I am not necessarily talking about 20 years ahead (although that would be pretty neat), I am talking about just knowing your schedule for today or the next couple of days or even having a 5 year plan. Many of us live in a world that praises those who have their life planned out. It is never a good thing to be that one kid that has no idea what to do with his/her life, even though that is the state that many people are in. We just brush off that uncomfortable talk by saying things like, "oh I am still thinking about it" or continue to list a bunch of possibilities- no matter how exaggerated. So it was a little difficult when our team went overseas and had to adapt to not knowing what was going to happen next. It was frustrating not being able to physically prepare for what we were getting ourselves into. Literally, we were told just enough information to not be completely lost. We were told how many concerts we were playing for that day and what part of the day we were playing them. By the second week in Guatemala, our team was accustomed to hearing "I don't know" to when we would ask, "what's next?" or "where are we going?" Actually, by that time, we just knew it was better not to ask. But more so, after a while, we didn't even care to ask. We were simply okay with not knowing.

While in CTI, I always worried about coming home and jumping right into college. I left for CTI with a lot of things up in the air and I had a week between coming home and moving in for college.I don't know my classes, my roommates, or where I will be living. I don't know what to expect, what to bring, or even how to prepare. I was worried about transitioning from CTI to home to a new environment in college. I didn't know how I was going to deal with it. But over my entire trip, God was slowly teaching me to let him take control. Everyday, God provided for my team. We knew up to the next hour and that was enough. I didn't need to know everything that was going to happen to me. In fact, I can't know everything that will happen to me. I can only be ready.

Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

You see, there is something oddly fulfilling about living your day without having to worry about tomorrow. I can plan all I want for tomorrow but I will never know for sure that what I plan won't change. In fact, most of the time, my plans do change, and that is absolutely fine. There is no way for me to know what tomorrow will bring but what I know for sure and what my team came to know is that in all things, God will provide. I might think that I know what is best for me and plan according to that but as a couple of my teammates shared, God knows us more than we know ourselves and if the God of the universe is planning my life, I can rest assured that things will be okay.

So I am getting ready for college (I literally just finished packing) and for the rest of my life, I want to remember and practice this mentality. I know that at the end of the day, God will provide. Where I am, is where He wants me and where I will be, He already knows.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

-Charlie 

*credits to Nick and Chanelle! =)