I was trying to make a decision between two schools. ⁣

I had prayed. I had done my research. I had written out pros and cons lists. I had talked with friends. ⁣

And I still had no clue which school to pick. ⁣

I kept praying.⁣

And still, I felt nothing. ⁣

Why wasn’t I getting the direction I was looking for? ⁣

I spent all summer thinking, delaying the final decision until the final deadline. ⁣

Still with no heavenly answer…

I finally just picked a school.

And it turned into a beautiful experience that was perfect with me, led me to amazing friends, and gave me great academic opportunities. ⁣

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good” (Alma 37:37).

So why hadn’t I been directed in the way I expected?

I have had countless times when I HAVE felt guided and directed by Heavenly Father in decisions I have made. ⁣

But I’ve also had a few of these experiences, where I look to Heaven and don’t hear anything. ⁣

Here’s what I think:

Being unmistakably directed in 100% of my actions would remove the need for agency and would stifle my growth.

Heavenly Father knew that I needed to “own” my school decision 100%. ⁣

And He trusted ME to make that decision all on my own. ⁣

He trusted me to study, ask, ponder, research, contemplate, and then decide. All by myself.

During that long decision-less summer, I think He was teaching me a totally different but more valuable lesson.

He knew I would figure out the school predicament.

But He knew I would need to learn the skill of making decisions quickly and with confidence by suffering through the painstaking opposite.

And so even when I didn’t think He was directing me, He was directing me for the greater good by allowing me to teach myself the lesson I had no clue I was learning. ⁣

He is there. He is listening. ⁣

Sometimes He needs to intervene and tell me what to do. Sometimes He wants to give me a nudge in the right direction. ⁣

And sometimes, He wants me to learn that I can trust myself and still learn the lessons He has directed for me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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2 Responses

  1. This has been me this Summer. I am inspired by your insights. I have been questioning why I was not receiving an answer. I hope to see that my decision was the right one as yours was for you.

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