Iron Sharpens Iron

I'm sure you've all heard the phrase, "Iron sharpens iron".... and for those who don't know, it's not just a cliche, it's a Bible verse, from Proverbs. 

The verse reads: "As iron sharpens iron,

    so one person sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) 

For the past couple of months I have been hearing this phrase within the depths of my being. For awhile I nagged God, asking Him to explain... I would ask, Why am I here? What is my purpose in Florida? I feel like a floating duck... and all I kept hearing was, "iron sharpens iron". It frustrated me to no end because I didn't understand what it meant... until tonight. Let me pause here and back up a second. 

When I arrived here in August, I was confident. I didn't have any idea what I was going to do for work or how things were going to play out but I was sure I had made the right decision and knew that God would work out the details. As time continued, I rapidly found a job and began my pursuit to get out of debt and become a certified Doula. I set up a schedule to exercise, read/study, and work. I set up a budget, I dove into church, I was ready for whatever God was going to do with me. So I thought. 

As it turns out you can be prepared three ways from Sunday, but when God has something for you to learn, it doesn't really matter if you're prepared or not. I thought I was more than ready for whatever He had for me here, but as it turns out, I wasn't. As I reflected over the last several months, thought about all of the various emotions, the good things and bad things that happened; I could see the purpose behind it. I began to understand some of the things He had shown me and spoken to my heart early on in the move. Suddenly "iron sharpens iron" was making sense. Situations, conflicts, and opportunities were all revealed in new light. Suddenly I was having an "AHA" moment! 

How does this apply to any of you? Where am I going with this? 

I just want to encourage each of you, learn where you're at. If God has placed you somewhere, a job, a state, a neighborhood that seems uncomfortable. If you feel like you're out of place and don't belong. If you aren't getting along with people or seem to be in conflict with others. Embrace it. Grow from it. There is purpose in all things, at all times, even if we can't see it yet. A couple months after I moved here I felt like God had released me and said I was "free to go". I had no idea how on earth I'd even go back to Iowa or what I would go back to. I thought for sure I was not "hearing correctly" because I had only been down here for a couple of months. However, as I have prayed since then, and looked back, He has shown me that He will not violate my free will. He released me and said I could go if I wanted, because it would be my choice, but that my work would be incomplete. My mission and purpose would be tainted. In other words, I'd still be a "knife" just not a sharp/effective one. 

So as I continue on in my journey here, however long (or short) it may be, I'm going to embrace the emotions, the struggles, the mountain tops, the rocky roads and all the in betweens. I'm going to let iron sharpen iron so that I'm ready to move on to the next thing, whatever it may be.