The Power of "Turning It Over to God"

Things tend to work out when we focus on our goals, create a plan to accomplish them, and follow through with the steps we put in place. There are also elements of correct timing, pushing through frustrations and setbacks, fighting for what you want, and having faith.

I would like to share an example, with whoever chooses to read this post, to show that accomplishing our goals and dreams takes many different turns, encounters many different roadblocks, and includes some unexpected help along the way when we least expect it.

My senior year of high school I took AP psychology and instantly fell in love with the subject. More specifically, we had an assignment in that class that asked us to explore potential career paths within psychology that we felt we might be interested in. As an athlete, it seemed like a no brainer that sport psychology was the perfect fit for me and the more I looked into it, the more it peaked my interest. From this beginning sparked a dream and a major goal was set to one day become a Sport Psychologist. I wrote down the steps, I knew the path I wanted to take and at the naïve age of 17 thought that road to accomplishing this goal was fairly straightforward.

Man, was I wrong...

Over the past 11 years (and two countries later) I have slowly, but surely, ticked off those steps and am now in my first year as a PhD student. But a year ago, a few days after Christmas 2016, I had a complete meltdown about where my life and career were headed. I was in the final months of finishing my Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and didn’t know where or when (or if) I was going to be able to move on to a PhD programme. I felt like time was against me and that my options were dwindling, which contributed to increased stress and anxiety circling this dream. Then I was reminded of the best advice I had ever received in my life: write down what was in my control and the rest (the anxiety, the worry, the doubt) turn it over to God and it will all work out.

Well, I wrote down what was in my control and ended up with a list of my top three school choices for the PhD and from that what I needed to do in order to meet those school’s requirements. The only people who ever saw that list were my parents and I never told anyone else that I had created it. Everything else, I turned over to God.

A weight felt like it was immediately lifted and deep down I knew things would work out…I just had no idea in what form that would be. For the next few months, I continued to do my part, when one day I randomly received a message asking about my plans for the following year. Out of the thousands of schools that this person could have been from, they just so happened to be someone from one of the Universities I had on my very short list. From that initial conversation the ball started to roll and shortly after I was accepted into the PhD programme there and another piece to the puzzle was slotted into place. It was a few years later than expected and in a country I never thought I’d live in for almost a decade, but the opportunity came just when it was supposed to. Did I know when it would happen, where it would happen, or how it would happen? No. But the strength, confidence, and perseverance that I asked for when I turned all those negative feelings over to God, led me to a place in my life that allowed for doors to be opened, risks to be taken, and new positions to become accessible.

I don’t know where the next three years will take me, but I know that by continuing to follow the advice that has served me so well in the past, my future will continue to be bright and take the course that is right for me. 

"Surrender the thing you fear into the hands of God. Turn it right over to God and ask Him to solve it with you. Fear is keeping things in your own hands; faith is turning them over into the hands of God." - E. Stanley Jones

I hope that same advice can help you in whichever way you need it. 

Thanks for reading! Comment below if you’d like to share any experiences you’ve had along your journey to reaching your dreams and goals!