I’m an incoming freshman and my story is not what I thought it would be. You see, I’m a planner and I had a thorough plan. Every inch of it was cozy and familiar, never taking me far from those dear to me. So trust me when I say I remember well the two moments which led to its downfall.

The first one was a whispered, nervous prayer. I had faced the reality that while I had built my plans through the years, I had never submitted them to God. I had told him about my dreams but had not trusted him to release them fully to his will. The day I admitted it to myself, I sat on my bed and prayed, “If you take me to a place that is away from home, I’ll go. If you ask me to leave my financial stability, I will. God, I love you.” With those words, I let go. One moment of choosing to trust. God must have been waiting for me, because after that my plans did not stand long.

Not even two months later I found an email highlighted at the top of my inbox. It read, “Congratulations!” I had been accepted to Cairn University and my heart almost crumbled in fear. Right then I remembered my prayer and knew this was where I was going. The plan I had clung to was gone. There were many excited sentiments in the email, but what I read was:

“Will you trust me?”

Trusting God is much more than a one-time act. It’s a day by day choice to live fearlessly in the knowledge of who our God is. Each day since I received that email I have had to remember what it is to trust God. To cast off the fear that chains me to the riverbanks of change. I’ve never battled so fiercely between fear and trust as I have this summer. I’ve been looking towards the day when I’ll step out and actually go, but I’m rarely sure I’ll have the courage to.

Do any of us? When was the last time you saw someone run at a river of change and fling themselves into it without a moment’s hesitation? Fear can give us pause when we come to a change in our lives, no matter how much we prepare. I’ve spent a lot of time envisioning my freshman year, running over every fear. Perhaps you’re anxious to know where the money for your next tuition bill is coming from. Or maybe you’re still struggling to commit to a major. Trusting God is something we must choose in whatever we are facing. Yet it’s so easy to not.

We might not know what God will do, and that’s all right. We must fix our eyes on him even if the irons of fear might still weigh around our ankles.

We have a way of giving our God far too little credit. I know I’ve done it. He is faithful and good beyond what we can imagine. We are assured that if we commit our way to him and trust in him, he will act. You aren’t alone and you needn’t be afraid, so unhinge the shackles on your feet and step into the river.

Live fearlessly.