by Isaac Burd ’25

These past weeks, I have truly come to realize that trusting God’s plan means to be okay with your plan not aligning with his plan. However, this idea is not easy to follow, especially when you are trusting someone that you can not see or audibly hear. This allows for doubt and false hopes to creep in, fighting your mentality on past expectations and goals. From personal experiences, however, accepting God’s plan is of course much more challenging when life is difficult. I was recently in an accident, where I was hit by a van during a cross country race, causing me to miss my whole junior season and affecting my athletic career for college. On top of this, my school work has been a struggle to complete as a result of my injuries. This, of course, is not the plan I intended for myself, where two of the most important things to me were directly impacted, academics and athletics. When the doubt and anxiety starts to creep in, I have to remind myself constantly of God’s plan. I have looked at a part of life where I have gained an experience which allows me to empathize more with others and understand hardships that people may encounter from time to time. This could be one of benefits of this greater plan that God envisions for me.

Trusting God’s plan is not easy in any way, shape, or form. Learning this is just like training for a race or studying for a test, it takes time, practice, exercise, and motivation. Over time, you will become stronger as someone in this vast, complex world and most importantly, in your faith. Taking a step back to pray for guidance and wisdom in God’s plan is a step toward healing, growth, and trust. It allows for the alleviation of any worries, concerns, or negative mindsets.

I often read my favorite verses that have enabled me to seek peace and find strength through God.

• “I’ve commanded you to be brave and strong, haven’t I? Don’t be alarmed or terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
• “Commit your way to the Lord! Trust him! He will act.” — Psalm 37:5
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.” — Proverbs 3:5,6