Octopus Inspired

While at an over night trip to an aquarium with the scouts, I learned a lot of interesting information about sea life.  We got to stay the night at this aquarium and sleep in front of the shark tank! This incredible experience was not only a lot of fun, but very educational! The girls who taught/led this experience did a great job with the scouts.  Although, I did not get much sleep...but how could anyone sleep when enormous sharks were staring you down like a yummy appetizer all night! Just kidding, it was just so relaxing to watch them swim around gracefully all night that I will now never want to sleep in my boring bedroom again!

One fact that I found very interesting was that an octopus only lives for about 18 months.  They are born, grow for about 18 months, produce babies, and then die! What kind of life is that?! It seem to me that they have no purpose...

I am so glad that God has created me with more of a purpose than he did the octopus- although as a mom and a teacher, the eight arms would have come in handy! But God has great plans for my life, this is promised in Jeremiah!

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future.'

I may not see all that He has in store for me, and it may get frustrating and confusing at times- But I know that I can trust this promise, and I know that when I cannot see, God can!  Our long drive to the aquarium was a scary, dark, foggy one over very, very long bridges (seriously long, thought we were crossing the Atlantic). The fog brought anxiety and fear to my boys since nothing around us could be seen, and the knowledge of being over deep, dark waters only added to the situation. And if I am honest, I was a tad bit terrified as well.  Riley said, I don't understand because I am praying for God to clear the fog and why is he not doing it?

I said, Riley God may not always clear the fog, calm the storm, or change the situation, but we must trust and understand that even if we cannot see the path- HE CAN! And, He is a powerful God who has us in His hands along this journey.

God has a purpose for our lives and as we take each step along the way, He also holds our hand guiding us to find His purpose. We cannot allow the enemy to trick us into confusion, clouding our vision of His plans worse than the fog over that bridge.  We must keep driving forward in the fog focusing only on the Father as He speaks to us, pours His love on us, and faithfully helps us find our way.  You are a child of God, wonderfully created with a purpose!