You'll never be ready

Since becoming an adult, I feel as if everyone always talks about "when you're ready."

"You'll know when you're ready..."

"Are you really ready to date?"

"Maybe you're just not ready to get engaged..."

"Marriage is serious. You need to ask yourself if you're really ready!" "Kids are a lifetime commitment. I'm not sure if you're ready..."

"Are you really ready to move across the country to take that job?"

I have no problem with many of these statements, but it is the heart behind the "when you're ready" sentiment that often irks me. For some reason, I always sense a large undertone of "you're not ready" behind their actual statement. It is like a Southern woman saying, "Bless her little heart, she just gained so much weight!"

I think that in many things, readiness is a myth. What does it mean to be "ready"? Are you only ready to get married when you want to stop partying all night, sleeping around, and keep a job for longer than a year? Are you only ready to have kids when you have been married for 2.5 years, had lots of *ahem* practice, and prepared to lose your sanity in the midst of poop-covered madness? Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that we should jump hastily into situations that we are truly not capable of enduring with God's grace. Four years ago, I thought that I was ready for marriage. I was very, very, VERY wrong. I am well-aware that there are certain things in life that we can be ready for.

However, I believe that sometimes we can be so focused on the "getting ready" that we forget to lean on Jesus and let Him have His way. God has asked me to do plenty of audacious things. In almost every circumstance, I have replied with something along the lines of "...but I'm not ready, Lord!" Please tell me that I'm not the only one who has heard God say something along the lines of "Suck it up. Stop waiting around to 'be ready.'"

A wise counselor once told me that I suffered from "paralysis by analysis." I will think...and think...and think...and think some more about a situation until I am so far deep in thought that I never really address it, or I'm just too scared. God has been dealing with my issues of control for many years now and continuously has to remind me that I need to let Him do His thing. Every time I try to grasp the pen out of His hand to write my own story, He takes it away. It's not always an easy lesson. In fact, it's usually very painful. He knows that experience is the best teacher.

I've come to the conclusion that His way is always the best way. It's the best way when I don't understand it. It's the best way when I don't think His timing is right. It's the best way when it hurts. It's the best way when it seems to contradict everything I've felt before.

My mantra from this point forward is "Lord, I'm ready. Come and do whatever You want to do."