Today’s guest post comes from Karis, a recent high school graduate from North Carolina.

Transitions can really hard, especially when you’re not sure how the change will affect you’re future. You try to make the right choices— the ones God would have you to make— but it can be really overwhelming. Karis offers encouragement to the girl who’s struggling with transition and who is seeking God’s will in her life.

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You’re sweating. Your hands are shaking. You feel nauseous. Are you sick? No, you’re graduating.

Though graduating is wonderful, it can leave a girl with a sick feeling inside.

What next?

What about college?

What if I choose the wrong path?

Suddenly a whole new world has opened up, and you’re left reeling and confused. Everything is happening so fast. College prep? More like surviving until you get out of high school and then panicking with no idea what comes next.

For Christians, this can be an especially worrying time. We wonder about the path God has called us to and feel anxious that we may make a wrong decision and blow the whole thing. I am having the same struggle myself. At the moment, I am in the awkward situation of having no idea what college I’m supposed to go to and delaying the inevitable by attending community college for a while.

Fortunately, Christians have a “secret weapon” that others don’t: God’s guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct they paths.” It is so easy just to read these words and keep going. After all, it’s verses we’ve heard since childhood. “Trust God. Got it. Okay.” Then we promptly put it out of mind. We have other things to do, right?

Wrong.

I am especially guilty of this. I often find myself skimming through my Bible without actually focusing on what it says. Oftentimes I miss important verses that could help me. Sometimes God smites my heart and says, “Back up and read that again.” When I do, I realize it was exactly what I needed in that moment.

I read a book recently where the main character was placed in a rough situation and made these verses her refuge. Seeing her stop and focus on those words made me reevaluate them: I realized I was guilty of worrying too much and not trusting.

So many times we start worrying and thinking we have to have everything all figured out. We think that if we don’t, we’ve somehow failed the “life test.” We look at others who seem to have it all together and wonder why it’s so hard for us to do the same.

Trusting God is hard.

It’s like getting on a train with no idea where it will stop or how long it will take to get there or which way you’re going. All you know to do is trust the conductor and believe he will get you to the right place in the right time. But you don’t want to go by blind faith because you want to know the final destination. You want to see the track ahead.

But the conductor just smiles and says, “Trust me.”

“God, why am I going through this?”

“Trust Me.”

“God, why haven’t you given me clear directions?”

“Trust Me.”

“God, when will I get an answer?”

“Trust Me, My child.”

When I was a child, I would often jump off tall items into my dad’s arms. I trusted him. But I was still scared. I would wait until I was certain he was close enough to catch me.

Our Heavenly Father is standing with arms outstretched, waiting on us to jump. I do not have to worry that He is not close enough to catch me. We can’t always see His arms. But we can always know He is there. Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

We can know that God will not forsake us. We just need to be willing to trust Him. We need to be willing to jump.

Going from high school to college is scary. No–scratch that– it is terrifying! But when we place our future in the hands of our loving Father, we can attain a peace that passes all understanding. We may not know where to go. We may not know how to get there. We may not know how to finance our way through. But we must not let fear conquer us.

There is nowhere we can go where God will not see us and take care of us. He is always there to guide us. We need to stop and listen to His still, small voice directing us.

Through the hours of research on different colleges, through the regular talks with financial and admissions advisors, through the campus tours, always keep listening to God’s voice. Always put His will at the forefront of every decision.

Some questions we need to ask ourselves when considering colleges include: What is the spiritual environment of the places I’m considering? What are their standards? What are their beliefs? How will this place affect my walk with Christ? Will I be mocked for my beliefs or will I be encouraged? Will there be teachers and faculty who can benefit my relationship with God?

We can be inspired by people like Abraham, who, in Genesis 12, was told by God to go “unto a land that I will shew thee.” He was not told where he was going. He was not told how long it would take to get there. He was not even told which direction to go. He was just told to go. So he went. He stepped out on faith. I cannot even imagine having that much faith.

My prayer for you is that you will trust God and that he will guide you. May we always remember to trust God and let Him direct our steps. He will never forsake us.

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I hope Karis’s words were encouraging to you in your current transition and that you’ll trust God to guide you the way He says He will. When the Bible tells us to trust God, the Bible’s telling you a deep truth that will change your transitions (and your future)!