Hey, welcome to the end of May. Last month I talked about anxiety and how God gives such good reminders that we don’t have to be anxious. He’s our God. The One who goes before us. We don’t have anything to fear with Him, no matter what comes our way. 

One of His names is Elohim. The God who goes before me. It’s such an encouraging name for the One who tells me not to fear or be anxious.

Today is my birthday which usually brings with it some reflection about the direction of my life. How does this year compare to the last one? Am I heading towards the life I want to be in or is there anything I want to change? 

I get the amazing privilege to live with my best friend and act as a nanny to my godkids. To watch them grow up and to be one of the main people in their lives that they know is always there for them. 

When my godson was born, I lived about an hour from my best friend. Not super far, but enough that we couldn’t see each other as much as we could before. 

And when my goddaughter was born a few years later, we lived further from each other and I had barely gotten to see my godson or my best friend for the past two years and I was afraid it would continue that way. My friend and I were still as close as before, still talking every day, but I was afraid her kids wouldn’t know me as they got older. 

Not even two months after my goddaughter was born, after I’d been having these little fearful concerns, she asked me to “temporarily” move in while her mother in law recovered from surgery, to help take care of her and watch the kids while my friend and her husband worked during the day. 

Five years later and it’s not so temporary anymore. Now it’s a given that I’ll be here to help plan their birthday parties. It’s a given that I’ll get to see them every day. They run to show me things they’ve made during the day and to share jokes they find hilarious. I don’t live hours away but steps across the hall and it’s one of my favorite things. 

While I was afraid five, six, seven years ago that I wouldn’t have a real relationship with my godkids, my God knew that I would. My God saw the future ahead of me and knew I didn’t have any reason to be concerned. 

Now I’m even closer with my best friend and I get to see my two favorite kids all day, every day and I also get work on other things that I want to continue progressing towards too. And I know that whatever concerns might arise about the future, my God goes before me. He’s already worked out every concern I could have, every dream I could hope is coming my way. 

He sees the future that I can’t see yet. He knows how we’ll get there and He’s got it all mapped out. Every part that I’m scared of. Every part I’m excited for. Every part I’ve never even thought of. He’s seen all of it and He knows the way. He’s charted the best course. And He’s on the trip with me. He’s promised to take care of me. 

Stay close to the One who goes before you. Stay close to the One who knows the way. To the One who’s cleared the path and charted the course. Take it all to Him. 

Every anxiety, every fear, every concern. That future that looks uncertain, or scary, or amazing. God goes before us in all of them. Take it all to Him and let Him take you to where He’s mapped it all out. Trust Him with the life He’s created for you. He won’t let it pass you by.