I was sitting contently between my mom and my youngest brother on our usual pew, 8 rows from the front, just right of the center…just as I do nearly every Sunday morning. As it can be from time to time, it was difficult for me to totally focus on my worship at the beginning of the service. My brain was still spinning a million miles a minute as I was thinking about friends in need, relationships that need attention, homework that needs to be done, stalls that need to be cleaned, horses that need to be exercised, and the biggest subject on my mind lately – the unknown. The fear of the unknown, the excitement of the unknown, the confusion of the unknown…and, when exactly will the unknown become the known? What should be my next move after college, and when should I start preparing for that next step? How will I know it’s the right step? The unknown, as one of my best friends so perfectly put it last night, has been haunting me.

We began to sing the song “How deep the Father’s love for us”. The instant the song started I was able to focus a little better…maybe it was the calming and comforting first words “How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure” or maybe it was the way the song starts with only the sopranos singing…but, it was as though my heart was singing and my voice was merely a by-product of the praise coming from my heart.

But of all the powerful statements within this song this is what stuck out to me…and what I intend to cling to this week and in the weeks and months to come as I face this haunting unknown:

“Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer…but this I know with all my heart; his wounds have paid my ransom!”

While the unknown is scary, the known is beautiful. I don’t know where I will be or what I will be doing in a year…I don’t even know when I’ll know or how I’ll know. But what I do know is this…my savior loves me and he paid my ransom. Why would I choose to dwell and stress over the unknown when I could and should focus on this known act of wonderful love!

The song that followed in this morning’s worship service was “Arms of love”…a song that I had to sing with a huge smile in my heart and on my face. I know with all my heart his wounds have paid my ransom and my heart is so glad that he’s called me his own…there is no place I’d rather be than in his arms of love. Holding me still. Holding me near.

“I know not what the future holds…but I know who holds the future”