Uncertainty can lead to growth

Last week, I auditioned for a small play put on by a senior theater major. The show sounded interesting, and I mainly wanted the practice. I went in with no expectations, barely prepared, and just had fun. To my surprise, I landed a part, and I’m grateful.

During auditions, I was asked to read a monologue. As I spoke, it didn’t feel like acting. It felt like the words were meant for me. Lately, I’ve been stressed, trying to figure out my future, how to set myself up for success, and feeling a little behind in the relationship department. I know I have time, but I’ve felt pressure to use it “correctly,” as if every step needs to be part of a master plan.

The monologue, spoken by a grandmother to her ambitious grandson, described how in her day expectations were simpler. Marriages were arranged, jobs were steady, and people didn’t put so much weight on finding the “perfect” career or partner. Life wasn’t about endless choices; they didn’t compare themselves to where everyone else was. It was about doing what needed to be done. I had to laugh. I’d been praying all week for clarity and wisdom, and here was God answering my prayer in front of an audience.

Her words reminded me how often our generation obsesses over the right job, the right person, the right moment, so much so that we forget to let life unfold. I realized I treat certain decisions like final exams, when really life is more of a winding path. Just like my audition, the best moments come when we release the pressure and allow experiences to be what they are.

It struck me that the pressure we put on ourselves often robs us of joy. We demand certainty where none exists, forgetting that growth often comes from simply stepping forward. That audition reminded me that life doesn’t require perfection; it asks for presence, openness and trust.

Sometimes clarity arrives in the places we least expect it. God works like that. And when we approach life with open hands, saying “yes” to opportunities, both small and large, we find ourselves growing in ways we never could have scripted. That’s the beauty of life: it doesn’t always go according to plan, but the unscripted moments often become the most meaningful.

So here’s what I’m learning: it’s okay not to have it all figured out. It’s okay to take chances without knowing where they’ll lead. And sometimes, it’s in those very moments of uncertainty that we discover the guidance, growth, and peace we’ve been searching for all along.