Trust in God vs Afraid to make a decision?

[Lady_Cygnus]

At what point does trusting in God become a fear/unwillingness to make a decision?

I graduated with an astrophysics degree two years ago and am not sure if I should go on to grad school. I still enjoy astronomy, but I no longer ask why/how/what if? Having decided to become an astronomer in middleschool I never really considered being anything else.

Now here is the catcher, I want to have faith in God, and trust that he will let me know his will when the time comes. I want to do his will, which I didn’t consider when I first made my decision - I only wanted to prove some idiot teachers wrong. At the same time I have to make a decision, I can’t stay in this position forever, and my boss has been asking “so…what are your plans?”

I have been praying desperately for wisdom and guidance, or maybe just a large neon sign. It seems I only have two choices, either put “my trust in God” and wait my whole life for him to tell me what he wants - only to find out after death that I’ve “burried my treasure.” Or I can make a decision only to find out that the Lord wanted me to learn to trust in him to let me know when I’m ready.

I have a feeling I’m thinking myself into a circle, so I’d greatly appreciate a second point of view.

 

[dulcissima]

I don’t know if grad school vs: working is something you need to wait around for God for. I mean, they are both good choices. Do you like your job right now? Is it fulfilling? It sounds like you don’t have the desire to go on to graduate school just for the sake of gaining knowledge. Is there an economic benefit to furthering your education in this field? Would a graduate degree help you attain your professional goals?

Right now you are circling the airport, don’t you think it is time to land the plane?

God did give you free will. Trust Him, and decide what you want. Don’t you think in a situation like this, what you want is what He wants?

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

Lady Cygnus:

I want to have faith in God, and trust that he will let me know his will when the time comes. I want to do his will. At the same time I have to make a decision, I can’t stay in this position forever.

Maybe it is because I am really tired and not thinking properly, but your problem seems obvious. You are stuck thinking that you either have to “trust in God” OR make a decision. I don’t see it as an either/or situation.

You can trust in God AND make a decision. He is probably waiting for you to just choose something so He can help you along, but He is not going to choose for you…you have free will.

Forgive me if I am way off base, I am going to sleep now…

Malia

 

[Lady_Cygnus]

dulcissima:

I don’t know if grad school vs: working is something you need to wait around for God for. I mean, they are both good choices. Do you like your job right now? Is it fulfilling? It sounds like you don’t have the desire to go on to graduate school just for the sake of gaining knowledge. Is there an economic benefit to furthering your education in this field? Would a graduate degree help you attain your professional goals?

Right now you are circling the airport, don’t you think it is time to land the plane?

God did give you free will. Trust Him, and decide what you want. Don’t you think in a situation like this, what you want is what He wants?

Thanks for the reply!

My current job title is data monkey - so no it isn’t really that fulfilling and I would need to go on to gradschool to continue in this field. Thing is, I don’t know if I want to do this or if I would be happier doing something else. Everything seems equally interesting, but equally likely not be.

I suppose I should just stop complaining about having too many choices

 

[Lady_Cygnus]

Feanaro's Wife:

Maybe it is because I am really tired and not thinking properly, but your problem seems obvious. You are stuck thinking that you either have to “trust in God” OR make a decision. I don’t see it as an either/or situation.

You can trust in God AND make a decision. He is probably waiting for you to just choose something so He can help you along, but He is not going to choose for you…you have free will.

Forgive me if I am way off base, I am going to sleep now…

Malia

You’re probably right, this is just some elaborate argument to justify doing nothing…sigh. To borrow the metaphor from dulcissima, I just wish I could choose an airport to land at.

 

[KCT]

Lady Cygnus:

My current job title is data monkey - so no it isn’t really that fulfilling and I would need to go on to gradschool to continue in this field. Thing is, I don’t know if I want to do this or if I would be happier doing something else. Everything seems equally interesting, but equally likely not be./QUOTE]

Whatever fields you have to choose from, pick one and do something. If you take a class or two and don’t like it, change to something else. Just because you start in one area doesn’t mean you have to continue.

God could be waiting for you to exercise your free will! —KCT

 

[dulcissima]

If you were going to start fresh, what would you want to study or what type of job would you want to have?

 

[puzzleannie]

Lady Cygnus:

Thanks for the reply!

My current job title is data monkey - so no it isn’t really that fulfilling and I would need to go on to gradschool to continue in this field. Thing is, I don’t know if I want to do this or if I would be happier doing something else. Everything seems equally interesting, but equally likely not be.

I suppose I should just stop complaining about having too many choices

You say you have wanted and planned to be an astronomer since middle school. has something else come up, or arisen as an alternative choice or career path? It doesn’t sound like it, so why are you considering a change at all? Unless something comes along so compelling that it drives you to change careers, stick with astronomy.

 

[Orionthehunter]

Lady Cygnus:

At what point does trusting in God become a fear/unwillingness to make a decision?

I graduated with an astrophysics degree two years ago and am not sure if I should go on to grad school. I still enjoy astronomy, but I no longer ask why/how/what if? Having decided to become an astronomer in middleschool I never really considered being anything else.

Now here is the catcher, I want to have faith in God, and trust that he will let me know his will when the time comes. I want to do his will, which I didn’t consider when I first made my decision - I only wanted to prove some idiot teachers wrong. At the same time I have to make a decision, I can’t stay in this position forever, and my boss has been asking “so…what are your plans?”

I have been praying desperately for wisdom and guidance, or maybe just a large neon sign. It seems I only have two choices, either put “my trust in God” and wait my whole life for him to tell me what he wants - only to find out after death that I’ve “burried my treasure.” Or I can make a decision only to find out that the Lord wanted me to learn to trust in him to let me know when I’m ready.

I have a feeling I’m thinking myself into a circle, so I’d greatly appreciate a second point of view.

I think you should read the Gospel story where Jesus told Peter, et. al. (after a day of catching no fish) to cast out into the deep water and they caught so much fish their boats almost sunk. To me, the message of the story is that we are called to prepare, work hard, accept setbacks, prepare some more, work harder, use our talents, accept another setback but every now and then to cast out into waters where we haven’t been fishing. Then Trust in God that one of these times we’ll fill our nets. To use “trust in God” as a crutch for doing nothing is Sloth.

 

[Eileen_T]

Point 1 Make a decision. Any decision. You will feel much better once you have finalised the whole thing.

Point 2 is this - It really doesn’t matter what decision you make, God will make it work out in the long run.

I was a high school drop out (through boredom more than anything else). In my late-40s when my children had grown up I was wondering what to do with the rest of my life. Out of the blue I received a job offer that utilised all my life experiences.

The job was in a Catholic pro-life organisation. For two and a half years I worked there and learned quite a lot. Then things changed and I was looking for a change although I didn’t know what. Someone who knew I was restless spoke to someone who was looking for somone with my pro-life knowledge to complete a website that had been under development for 3 years.

I had to learn website development, which was soooo easy, but everything in my life has been of use in the work. The website is 800-1000 pages on Suicide, Abortion & Euthanasia.

God took my own failed suicide attempt, 5 pregnancy losses (not abortion) and the three people I cared for at the end of their struggle with cancer, my experience with post-abortion counselling and my love of computers, and added my retentive memory, analytical skills and pro-life knowledge and put things in place to enable me to do this work.

Make a decision, even if you have to flip a coin. God will do the rest.

 

[bear06]

I highly suggest doing a 54 day novena. Here’s a couple of links with the history and specifics:
web.cheapnet.it/ivanao/54novena.html
catholicism.about.com/cs/novenas/a/54daynovena03.htm

At the ripe old age of 20 I said this novena. I simply asked God to let me know what I was supposed to do with my life. I had one clear option and then the unknown. Right after I finished my 27 days of petition and had started on the thanksgiving I met a wonderful guy. It was very obvious after about 3 dates that this was God’s answer and clear option #1 was not God’s calling for me. It turned out door number 2 was supposed to be my path. After I finished the first 54 day novena my future husband and I said one together to figure out what we were supposed to do. Not long after, we were engaged and married just shortly a year after our first date (would have been sooner but he had to finish up his last semester in college).

 

[allhers]

Wow, thanks for those links bear, that first one plays the Ave Maria, very beautiful!! :angel1:

 

[Lady_Cygnus]

puzzleannie:

You say you have wanted and planned to be an astronomer since middle school. has something else come up, or arisen as an alternative choice or career path? It doesn’t sound like it, so why are you considering a change at all? Unless something comes along so compelling that it drives you to change careers, stick with astronomy.

I started in astronomy because I have a strong appreciation for aesthetic beauty (and what is more beautiful/awe inspiring than the night sky?). I also wanted to pick the hardest thing I could find to prove I wasn’t stupid; well - I found out astronomy was hard

I’m considering an alternative path because I don’t like astronomy work (paper writing, data analysing, counting dots, proposal writing, etc…) Problem is I know for every career path I will have to do stuff I don’t like, would I find one where the benefits outweight the pains? (along the lines of “can we ever find satisfaction in this world?”).

KCT:

Whatever fields you have to choose from, pick one and do something. If you take a class or two and don’t like it, change to something else. Just because you start in one area doesn’t mean you have to continue.

Ah yes, the moment of decision…um I have difficulty with this. Even small decisions require an elaborate spreadsheet (weighted columns and all), and even then…

I think it is a fear of failure…or not being perfect. Once I start something I can’t stop until it’s done, but if it isn’t going to come out perfectly I don’t want to finish. At that point I end up in limbo with half-completed projects lying around.

I might start another thread on the fear of failure - more people might benefit from that one.

dulcissima:

If you were going to start fresh, what would you want to study or what type of job would you want to have?

I have NO clue. I thought about architecture for a while…and chemistry, medicine, religious studies, biology, airforce, engineering, and gardening. Also thought about running away to become a nun - but that isn’t an option due to debts (and that’s probably the way the Lord wants it).

 

[Lady_Cygnus]

Orionthehunter:

I think you should read the Gospel story where Jesus told Peter, et. al. (after a day of catching no fish) to cast out into the deep water and they caught so much fish their boats almost sunk. To me, the message of the story is that we are called to prepare, work hard, accept setbacks, prepare some more, work harder, use our talents, accept another setback but every now and then to cast out into waters where we haven’t been fishing. Then Trust in God that one of these times we’ll fill our nets. To use “trust in God” as a crutch for doing nothing is Sloth.

I know this intellectually, and I try to do things like sit in on classes, attend lectures and research different fields. I am looking I’m just not deciding…but I guess that’s like taking the boat out and looking at a potential fishing spot, but never casting the net.
Eileen T:

Point 1 Make a decision. Any decision. You will feel much better once you have finalised the whole thing.

Point 2 is this - It really doesn’t matter what decision you make, God will make it work out in the long run.

I like your point two and your story, they both give me hope. I tend to forget that I can’t mess up God’s plan, but I want to make it as easy for him as possible

bear06:

I highly suggest doing a 54 day novena. Here’s a couple of links with the history and specifics:

Hmm…interesting. I went to the website and noted that this novena requires you to do five decades every day. I then started thinking “that must be a typo, rosaries only have four (or three if you haven’t added the luminous yet), five can’t be right…” “Besides, I never remember to say rosaries, etc, etc…” While I sit thinking this the radio anouncer in the background says, “we play five decades of music every day”

That’s just a coincidence right??

 

[Edwin1961]

I’m having trouble finding a job.
I look all over the internet and the local newspaper and seem not to find anything I am interested in. I did have an interview but nothing has resulted from it.

I am also at an issue with Where to work. I am undecided that IF I have to move, I’d hate to leave where I am at.
I hope this novena works.

 

[Valz]

Work as if it all depended on you…

and…

Pray as if it all depended on God.

 

[KCT]

Lady Cygnus:

Ah yes, the moment of decision…um I have difficulty with this. Even small decisions require an elaborate spreadsheet (weighted columns and all), and even then…

Oh my gosh! You sound like my ADD, engineer husband. He either makes a split second decision w/ little thought, or mulls over things forever! There’s no in between. And he loves excel spreadsheets. Everything has to be in a spreadsheet!

Another thought is to make a retreat. Find the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. You’ll learn alot about yourself and begin to make a program of life. It’s a great tool. —KCT

 

[KCT]

Where in VA are you? If you’re near DC, you can do Spiritual Exercises in Bethesda, MD. —KCT

 

[dulcissima]

Is there something in the field of astronomy that has more field work and less sitting around studying data? I know my sister recently got an engineering degree and was having pretty much the same dilemma as you, a desk job making calculations or go on to graduate school. She was getting sick just trying to decide what she wanted to do. She even thought about abandoning the field altogether and doing something entirely different like open a restaurant. Anyway, she applied for her long shot dream job, prayed and prayed, and got it. She loves it. She is out in the field doing something different and adventurous everyday and is very happy.

 

[bear06]

Hmm…interesting. I went to the website and noted that this novena requires you to do five decades every day. I then started thinking “that must be a typo, rosaries only have four (or three if you haven’t added the luminous yet), five can’t be right…” “Besides, I never remember to say rosaries, etc, etc…” While I sit thinking this the radio anouncer in the background says, “we play five decades of music every day”

Not 5 rosaries a day but 5decades. Only 1 whole rosary a day. That means that today is a Glorious Mystery day so you would say 10 bead while meditating on the Resurrection, 10 on the Ascension, 10 on Decent of the Holy Spirit, 10 on the Assumption and 10 on the Coronation of Mary. Tomorrow you would say the 5 decades of the Luminous Mysteries, etc.

If you needed to say 5 whole rosaries a day, I’d still be single! I’ve never been that pious. Anyways, I know other people who have said this one to (at my nagging, of course) who have also had their prayers answered. Set an alarm and give it a try. It’s less than 2 months of your life!

You probably already know this but I try never to assume so here’s a straightforward guide to the rosary:
rosary-center.org/howto.htm

Goody luck whatever you do!