Pep talk

Disclaimer: Pardon my evident softball nostalgia in this post. 

God is by far the best Coach ever.  These past couple weeks, I've been in need of some pep talks, especially when I've felt like the pressure of this trip has become overwhelming, or I have doubts swarming around me telling me I'm not a good enough nurse, or I'm not experienced enough, or I won't make friends, or I'm going to get lost in an airport somewhere. As silly as some of them sound, they have legitimately struck fear and I have been at war with these lies.

But! 

Like our faithful God, He comes through in our time of need.  Like a good Coach, He's let me work through some anxiety attacks (I've prayed Phil 4:6-7 a lot lately), sometimes coming out successful and other times learning my lesson of what to do next time. Like a good Coach, He speaks at the opportune time, giving me a pep talk that I've craved for the past couple innings and now I'm desperate to hear Him speak.

One quote that has left me with stamina to continue through was from a friend who encouraged me with a saying by Paul Tripp.

"He [God] loves me enough to take me where I would have never wanted to go in order to produce in me what I never could have achieved on my own."

Bam!

My feet are resettled, my heart renewed and swept over in peace.  My vow to surrender my life in full obedience has been reestablished and reminded me that my life really isn't my own. The day I accepted Christ and handed over my life meant I would go through situations that wouldn't look the way I wanted. It meant I would be made uncomfortable, it meant I would experience difficult situations, it meant I would face choices that would make me choose between my family, my friends, my comforts in order to follow Jesus. But the settling fact that I get to remember is that my Coach wins the game.  Ultimately, no matter how dire things look, no matter how stressed I become, my Coach doesn't desert His team. He fights for His players, He avenges the poor calls by the umpire, and He comes out victorious. 

Though I may be a very small player in the game, I choose to trust my Coach.  The experience I am about to embark on is so much bigger than me and it would be selfish to try to make this all about my wants and needs.  Being placed in situations where we are uncomfortable tend to be the places we grow and stretch the most.  I'm so ready to go there.