Afraid of the Grade and what's next!?!

I am NOT an artist. Did you know in 7th grade art class I got a C?!? Who gets a C in art? And I even turned in all my work. The picture I drew of a duck didn't look anything like a duck, but I did my best! And really, how can you even GRADE art? It's art! Isn't that subjective anyways? Now as an adult, when I work on an art project- this is generally what it looks like:

And to be completely honest this would be a GOOD stick person drawing for me.Art just isn't my thing.

I talk about art today because it's almost that time for report cards. I dreaded report card time when I was a kid even though I was a pretty good student (except...yah know...in art). I think really the fear I had was of the unknown. Even if I got a lot of good grades, I didn't believe I had an A until I saw it on that final report card.

Fear of the unknown is something that isn't unfortunately limited to report cards. There are lots of unknowns of life that can cripple us with fear. Will we get sick or injured? What if can't figure out what we want to major in? What if I person we love doesn't love us back? What if we don't have enough money?

One great Biblical example I see of someone who dealt well with the unknown was Noah. The story is so incredible when you consider the context. Noah was told it was going to flood so he built a boat. Seems simple enough right? Until you consider that it took him also 100 years! And during these 100 years, it wasn't raining. There was no signs of a flood. There was no reason for Noah to believe there would be a flood besides what God said. There were SO many unknowns for Noah, but instead of focusing on them- Noah focused on God. And day by day with the help of God and his sons, Noah built a boat.

Noah didn't get overwhelmed with the size of the project, he instead focused on the next peg, the next piece. That's the reality of life- the future is uncertain and unknown. And there will be days we get a C in art class!

We should try not to use our energy worrying about the unknown. Focus instead on what's in front of us. Matthew 6:34 sums it up great by saying-  ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

God takes care of the birds, the plants, the trees SO God is most certainly going to take care of us. What is unknown to us IS known by God. We can take GREAT confidence in knowing that. What we don't know-God DOES.  

So in my case, AND in looking at the sky some days- God is a GREAT artist!

Picture of the lake and sky at my parent's house last summer- YEP God's a GREAT artist AND Becca is too with her painted toenails! HAHA