When God wants us to do something He has a way of getting us to do it whether we want to or not. I am not saying God takes our agency, but I believe that he has a way of steering us in the right direction. However, if we want to defy him enough he will let us.
My father was strictly opposed to me joining the Marine Corps as an active duty Marine. He fiercely believed that my calling was to serve a Mormon mission so the reserve component was the only option he was willing to allow me to take. God had different plans however.
I came to my father in the summer of 1997 and told him that I felt strongly that I needed to forgo the reserves and sign up for four active years. All I received back was a firm "No" and that was that. I accepted that and kept on working the summer away. In late August, about two months later, I opened the subject again claiming that I was having a very strong feeling that I needed to go active.
"No" again was his reply but with an alternative. He told me that if I went and prayed about it and God manifested it to me, and I had proof, then he would agree. I love my father and I have never wanted to disappoint him. I knew that I could make my own decisions but I wanted my father desperately to be part of the arrangement. I respected him that much.
So I went to "the wilderness" to pray and felt the overwhelming feeling, through tears, that I needed to change plans and serve four active years. I drove home and opened the discussion with my father once again, and, through tears, shared my experience. He too broke down in tears and gave his approval that a change of course is what I needed to do.
This was not easy for my father as I was his only son and he wanted nothing more than for his son to serve an honorable mission for the church. After our experience together he could not deny any longer that the Marines full time was the best road I could take for my life.
Quote of The Day;
Joyce Meyer said: "I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be."
www.joycemeyer.org
