For anyone getting A-level or AS-level results, you are now a week on from opening that dreaded envelope, or standing in a crowded school room, desperately searching for your name on a long list of results. For GCSE students, you are probably getting increasingly nervous thinking about Tuesday. Well in the midst of all this celebration and devastation and stress and anxiety and fear of the unknown and dissapointment and relief, I would like you to think about… Toy Story!
Have you seen any of the Disney Pixar Toy Story films? If not, go and see them as they are amazing! The three films are all about a boy called Andy and his toys. Woody is a cowboy, Buzz Lightyear is a space ranger, then there is Jessie, Rex, Slinky, Mr & Mrs Potatohead. A whole toy box of brilliant characters that many of us have grown up with.
There is however something that links all these toys together: they all have Andy’s name written on their feet with permanent marker. Throughout their adventures there are times when they get lost, but they are still Andy’s toys no matter what! This is similar to the way in which we will always be children of God. No matter what we do, where we go, and even if we have been gone off track and ignored God for a while, we are still His children and He still loves us.
Toy Story 3 is very sad as Andy is all grown up and is going away to college. He is leaving his toys behind, as he has is older and no longer plays with the toys. The toys are very upset, but this is where God is different. Isaiah 44:21 says, ‘I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget to help you.’ He will never get bored of us. He will never want to stop spending time with us. He will never give us away or put us in a box in the attic! He will not abandon us when we feel like our world in crashing in around us. He is already at that University overseas that we are nervous about going to. God wants to be our friend forever. He wants us to talk to Him everyday and He will bless us with lots of good things in our lives.
The Psalms are a fascinating book to read, as throughout the book you will find the Psalmist expressing very real and honest emotions. He did not hide the fact that life often does not go the way we plan, or that sometimes he was angry with God. There were times when he felt that God had abandoned him, and others when he reflects on the past and praises God for being his strength. This verse from Psalm 94:18-19 seemed very appropriate for anyone who is receiving exam results this year:
“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”- Psalm 94:18-19
God does not promise that if you give your life to Him that you will have an easy ride. God’s plan for us is rarely the plan that we have dreamt up for ourselves. However, we never stop being God’s children. His name is always written on our feet. He will never abandon us, and more than anything, He know exactly how you are feeling right now, whether it be good, brilliant, nervous, bad or plain devastated!
The results you will recieve in the next few weeks are not a mistake. The schools and universities that accept you are all part of God’s plan for your lives, but that does not mean that a dissapointing result is easier to accept, or the butterflies in your stomach will go away. It does however mean that we can rest assured that we are still in God’s hands and that He has it all under control! Need more proof? Check out these verses taken from The Message:
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am.” Matthew 16:24
I would encourage you to spend sometime with God during these few weeks. Hand over any concerns to Him. Praise Him for helping you gain the results that you needed. Ask Him for guidance as you make some big decisions. But mostly, talk to your Best Friend, Father and Creator about all these issues!
If you have any tips or comments please post them below.
Sarah 