By Richard Norris III, Seminary Intern

“By and by, when the morning comes, when all the saints of God are gathered home, we’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome, for we’ll understand it better by and by.”

—Charles A. Tindley

Before I got to seminary, my academic advisors often referred to me as the “man with the plan.” Whether it was carefully selecting my courses or meticulously scrutinizing the colleges I would apply to, I had a good grasp on the direction that I wanted to go in. All of that changed when I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh.

For the first time in my life, I had lost the control I always felt I had on my future. I had no plans to remain in Pittsburgh after graduating from college. Yet, it seemed that every door God was opening for me required me to remain in the Steel City a bit longer. Consequently, I operated with an uneasy spirit for the first few weeks when I first moved. And admittedly, I still am a bit unsure of where exactly God is directing me, as far as my ministry is concerned. Nevertheless, I rest in this truth: I may feel as though I’m out of control now, but the truth of the matter is I was never in control to begin with.

Perhaps the best thing we can do in seasons of beginnings or endings – especially in those moments where we may not be able to properly discern what God is doing or where God is leading us – is simply surrender whatever control we think we have. If we truly have faith in God, we must trust that God can see the big picture and see how we fit in the big picture. Maybe that’s what Charles A. Tindley was thinking about when he penned the words “By and by, when the morning comes, when all the saints of God are gathered home, we’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome, for we’ll understand it better by and by.”