When His plans over.ride my plans...

Usually every individual longs to finish his school work and be free.
But often they go into college and hit the books for several more years...
Well, my story is kinda like this and kinda not...
So grab a cup of coffee and hang on for the ride...
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Several years ago: The Rhodes family planned a year of "facing a new set of problems."
Destination: Reading, PA
Plan A: Mr. Rhodes [the first] [wait, not really, but you get it, right?] would find a job, RaVonne would find a job and begin life in the big world, the boys would go to school, and Mrs. Rhodes [no need to insert the first here..esp since that wouldn't be correct either] would be at home with the little bro.

When night, still several years ago, my parents were discussing some school things for that year and I was listening in...[don't worry, it wasn't a private meeting]..the main topic was what the boys would get to experience..basketball with a REAL team, a bigger school, attending convention, ect...
My first response was that's great for them, but what about me? [take note of the selfish attitude here]..It just didn't seem fair that they could experience all of this and I was going to work! What type of life is that? [insert sarcasm] ... I have dreamed of playing on a volleyball team [even though it isn't my top fav. sport], being in a big school, singing in a choir, and all that jazz..well, I remember telling God that night, right before I went to bed, that I would love to do that..."If it would be at ALL possible, would there be some way that You could work that out?" Then I drifted off to sleep and forgot all about that, until....

The beginning of this year the whole thing of going to school was discussed..[it had been discussed earlier, but I was SURE that it wouldn't happen]...It was possible that I could wait to graduate till the following year and do some schooling at Fairview...well, who in the world waits to graduate when they could be done.."nobody does that, dad!  Why would I go to school for a FIFTH year of highschool? People usually don't graduate late unless they aren't very smart or stuff like that..I don't want to do that!"
But it didn't end there...My dad talked with me about it several times and I started really thinking...was it THAT weird? 
If you ask my family, they would probably say I was slightly, no, really, overwhelmed with the whole thing...the decision was up to me..not my parents...
I prayed and prayed and prayed..talked to different people about it...my dad emailed the school principal about it to see if it would really work..[mean while i was hoping he would just say no so that i would know for sure what i was supposed to do]...his response was this [or something to this degree..not the exact words :) ] "You only get to experience highschool once in a life time..." :) :) :)
You can imagine how I felt!

Then, one afternoon, I was getting ready to go somewhere, and this story came back to me...[the one a few paragraphs up] .... It was one of those conversations with God...

"RaVonne, remember when you told Me that you wanted to experience a big school and all of that?  You said that you wanted to do it if there would by any possible way!
RaVonne, your heart for teenagers isn't something to ignore...what if you wouldn't be able to reach teens through your job, if you would get one?  Here is an open door, from Me, your Father.  You are going to be with teenagers five days a week.  Couldn't that be a ministry?"

My eyes filled with tears of joy... this was all too wonderful...

"But God, I don't want to graduate late..what about that?"

"RaVonne, just not long ago, AT ALL, you wrote on your blog about surrender...what do you think I was preparing you for then?  Would you really consider your wants and status instead of My will?  As much as you love teenagers, would you really give them up and not show them who I am and graduate on time?"

By this time I was completely overwhelmed...I couldn't really believe that God was doing this through someone like me...How stupid could I be to consider my will inplace of His?

So, I planned to finish my highschool work in four years...I would then take the fifth year to do some other electives that I would love to do and also to improve some of my gifts...
There have been many moments of freaking out...but I think back to that one afternoon when He told me what He wanted....There is no greater joy, then to be at the center of His will!

I would appreciate your prayers as I go through this next year...It won't all be fun and games..but I can't wait to see what all He has in store for me...and for the school in Reading, PA!

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Thank you so much for joining me in my story...so many of you have been such an encouragement to me in all of this! The whole story is completely of God...I can't take credit for ANY of it!

My prayer is that all of you will be encouraged to follow His calling on your life...Give Him everything..you won't have anything to lose!

So long, for now...and tune back in to hear more about this coming year..