new pastures.

One of the best things I did this past fall semester was read "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by Phillip Keller. Ever chapter of the book warms my insides more than peppermint hot cocoa, but this particular passage has special meaning to me:

"Sheep are notorious creatures of habit. If left to themselves, they will follow the same trails until they become ruts; graze the same hills until they turn to desert wastes; pollute their own ground until it is corrupt with disease and parasites. Many of the world's finest sheep ranges have been ruined beyond repair by overgrazing, poor management, and indifferent or ignorant sheep owners...

No other class of livestock requires more careful handling, more detailed direction, than do sheep. No doubt David, as a shepherd himself, had learned this firsthand from tough experience. He knew beyond dispute that if the flock was to flourish and the owner's reputation was to be held in high esteem as a good manager, the sheep had to be constantly under his meticulous control and guidance... Because of the behavior of sheep and their preference of certain favored spots, these well-worn areas become quickly infested with parasites of all kinds. In a short time a whole flock can thus become infected with worms, nematodes and scab. The final upshot is that both land and owner are ruined while the sheep become thin, waste and sickly.

The intelligent shepherd is aware of all this. Not only just for the welfare of his sheep and the health of his land, but also for his own sake and reputation as a rancher, he must take the necessary precautions to safeguard against these adverse animal traits... The greatest single safeguard which a shepherd has in handling his flock is to keep them on the move. That is to say, they dare not be left on the same ground too long. They must be shifted from pasture to pasture periodically... There must be a predetermined plan of action, a deliberate, planned rotation from one grazing ground to another in line with right and proper principles of sound management. This is precisely the sort of action and the idea David had in mind when he spoke of being led in paths of righteousness."

here are a couple possible interpretations of this passage, but in my life, I saw this:

Mid-October, God threw a curveball in my plans to graduate Fall 2012, a semester early already, and presented me the opportunity to graduate in Spring 2012, a whole year early. It's a long story, but the choice was before me. In just the months before, I had been contemplating prolonging my original plans and staying in college the whole four years because I just wasn't ready to grow up, to move on from the college life I had finally become comfortable in -- I wanted to stay with my friends, keep moving up in leadership in the Navs, find my husband, graduate with my friends. And now God was giving me the choice to graduate even earlier. I debated for a couple days and spent a lot of time in prayer and seeking counsel.

And in the midst of all my panic, God's calm, gentle voice broke through the noise: "Karla, it's time for a new pasture. Time to move on. You don't know where you're going, you don't know where the next pasture will be, but it's going to be okay -- just follow Me."

I don't know where I'm going. I feel like a fake, a wanna-be senior. I will graduate a month before I turn 21. For some, this is no big deal. But it took me a long time to process, and I am still processing, still emotionally unprepared. But I know I have become too comfortable in my college bubble, and God's asking me to grow up now.

I'm not sure where the next pasture is, and I'm not going to sit around waiting for God to reveal it to me. I believe He will simply lead me, day by day. He has already given me the wisdom I need to make decisions, as I remain in Him. I am only praying that I will have the right motives for whatever decision I make, and that I will walk in righteousness. I am praying that He will open doors, that He will close doors, but that I won't determine closed doors based on my laziness. (If you haven't, read "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung.)

So here's to my last semester of college, living in light of God's grace and faithfulness. I'm finally beginning to feel ready for this new pasture, and I'm happily following my Good Shepherd!