“He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.“

Psalms 18:34-36

Sometimes God trains our hands for roles and positions that we never anticipated for ourselves.

Maybe even something (gasp) we didn’t get a college degree in.

Sometimes four years of collegiate training doesn’t equate to being on the perfect track for your life. I’m currently working in a field quite opposite of my degree and I love it. For the longest time, I didn’t have a “dream,” but now I do and it’s within my current line of work (I thinkkk.)

If you’ve ever done weights at the gym, beginning to strengthen your arms is NOT fun–I would wake up the next morning sore and wondering why I ever wanted to  have Michelle Obama arms in the first place. And even if your arms are strong enough, shooting a bow is another story–it’s tough! It takes a lot of careful training, precision, and core strength. I tried it once and the arrow flew into the air…and landed at my feet.

You might not think you’re functioning in your “calling” (I hate all the baggage that comes with that term) because maybe you’re doing something different than what your degree says or the dream you had for your life back in middle school–but be encouraged: God is training you and preparing you for something for something you never imagined. To be perfectly elementary, it’s kind of like Dora the Explorer and her backpack. Along the journey, you pick up new experiences and lessons that God has given to equip you for later. You might not use that map now, but it was not a mistake that you picked it up.

Also, I don’t know about you, but I love how verse 36 clarifies that God has made a WIDE path for our feet. As a clumsy person (in every way), I need all the grace I can get. God’s supply is never short–He anticipates our needs. He never takes a coffee break from being our Shepherd and supporting us with His right hand.

You might feel in the dark or completely lost, but take heart: God is training you & equipping you for your own version of the verse’s battle. This is not a wasted time.