Finding Purpose in the Seasons of Life

The Fear of the Unfamiliar

At times the fear of the unknown can knock you off your feet. It doesn’t make sense to lay everything down in a comfortable place and move to a different setting.  The demands of why, what for and where to, are just some of the few you’ll have to battle with, during the transition period between the familiar and the unfamiliar.

Like I said in my previous post, sometimes God doesn’t move until we take a step of faith into the unknown. It may seem bizarre trying to understand why you need to move when God says move. It doesn’t make any sense when you tell people and friends, that you are moving to an unfamiliar place where you believe God is leading you. Some may think that something is wrong with you. But you have to be so in-tuned with God, that you don’t allow questions and doubts to withhold you from moving.

When I had to travel to Australia to study, it wasn’t a happy experience. I decided to pray about it, and I remember complaining seriously about it. I said to my mum, ‘I am just going for two years, and after my studies, I am coming back home’. I was not happy about travelling to a far-off country and so unfamiliar and distant away from where friends and family members were going.

In those days, people I know go to UK, USA or other parts of Europe which were closer to the part of Africa I was. In fact, when I said I was travelling to Australia, most people didn’t know where that was, and why not the nearby countries where everyone was going. But sometimes when God wants to work with you, He separates and takes you away from all familiar setting, to a place where you’ll have no choice but to depend wholly on Him.

It was hard adapting to the new environment I found myself. It was one of those experiences that dawdle for so long that you think you’re never going to make it out. I cried, complained, relapsed in my faith and got angry, but they never got me out of the situation. It was until I was ready to surrender to God, and in His timing, He made a way. I’ve learnt that throwing tantrums in such situation, won’t solve anything, for the most part, it gets you all worked up and the potential of prolonging your already lengthy unfamiliar setting.

Are you afraid of your unknown place? Why not take that step of faith and surrender it to God, knowing if He brought you into that situation, He will for sure get you out of it. But in the meantime try to make use of that situation by getting busy with what you can lay your hands on and do it well. It could be a new-found talent, skill or that career you’ve been longing to have. Whatever it is, make sure you’re making good use of that ‘unfamiliar’ situation, and that it’s something God is leading you to do.

How are you responding to your ‘unfamiliar‘ situation? Is faith or fear in play?

Comments are welcome!