Little Surprises

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If there is one post that is consistently discussed throughout my many years of blogging, it would be about God's plan for my life and what I think my plan is. I'm constantly amazed that usually the path I think I should follow or the job I believe I should apply for is usually all my planning and not His. Sure, I'll pray a bit about it and say I trust He's got it but really, at my core, I'm running alone. 

But He never lets that happen for too long. 

He's really good at dropping little surprises and reminders along the way. 

God is kind of the best gift giver in that way. 

One of the first times He did this in my life for grad school. I busted my butt to apply, ensured I was doing everything right, getting good grades, working in labs etc. and yet when it came time to hear if I got in anywhere, I was wait listed or rejected. Ouch. 

So I waited. I put it into God's hands. I had a good few weeks of acceptance that maybe Speech wasn't in the cards for me and I lived my life. Honestly, I began living my life for the first time since graduating (so December) in about mid March. That's a long time of being anxious and mentally consumed. Not proud of that. 

But then God surprised me with my acceptance to Pacific. And it's been a perfect adventure ever since. I love this school and this program. Good luck to all the people that come up to me at the ASHA convention in November asking about Pacific because I can sing its praises for a while. 

Then, just recently, He surprised me again. 

I've wanted to be a medical SLP since high school and while I've said, "I'm open for anything!" my heart has always been sold on medical settings. Now it's true I don't have one set medical setting in mind, but I do know I want it to be medical. So when I got placed in a school setting for Fall, I wasn't too surprised as I expected it, but I was still a bit bummed. Determined to make the best of it, yes, but bummed regardless. 

Then I got an email this week notifying me of the unicorn of all medical placements in pediatric inpatient at the children's hospital in the area. I squealed and literally jumped with joy and have not been this excited about something since getting into grad school. It's going to be extremely hard and sad but I can't wait to work under my supervisor and learn more than I could ever hope for. 

But this is what God does! He takes our dreams, our hopes, and turns them into something greater than we could have ever cooked up! He knows us no matter how hard we try to be mysterious. 

So I feel a general peace about my final year of grad school (holy smokes!!). I don't know what the next 6 months hold or lordy, the next 12 but that's ok. And I mean that honestly. I actually feel confident that whatever I get or wherever I go, God will have a hand in it and move me further down my path. 

Has he done this with you? This kind of gift of something better than you could have ever imagined? Or maybe it was a really hard decision but led you to where you are now and the now is so much better? I want to know!