What to do when you don’t know what to do

I took modern dance in college, and although that was a long time ago, something the dance teacher said still comes back to me often. She told us that if you forget your next move and don’t know what to do, just keep dancing.

I have found this advice – “just keep dancing” – very transferable to life’s many situations since then. Over the years, when at times I have felt at a loss to know what to do, it has been my first inclination to pray to God. The willingness and commitment to “just keep praying” has always brought needed answers.

The Apostle Paul – a follower of Jesus’ teachings – was met with a number of very difficult situations. It’s easy to imagine him facing the question of what to do. And he offered this counsel: “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).

Once, Paul and his companion Silas were thrown in jail and their feet put in the stocks because of objections to their Christly, healing teachings. Their response was to pray and sing praises to God. Everyone in prison heard their rejoicing. I like to think of it as a celebration of absolute trust in the protecting presence of God, who loves and cares for all.

It is recorded that suddenly there was an earthquake that caused all the doors to open and all the prisoners’ chains to break. The jailer, seeing the doors open, was ready to take his own life for fear of being blamed for everyone’s escape. But the prisoners had not fled, as Paul assured the jailer – who soon became a follower of Jesus’ teachings (see Acts 16:19-36).

Although I can hardly compare myself to Paul and the scale of the difficulties he faced, I’ve found encouragement in his example.

I recall an experience years ago when I was at a crossroads about what to do. I had decided to leave the university I had been attending for a year and a half. It had become clear that it wasn’t the right place for me – but it was not clear what was.

I’d begun to study Christian Science shortly before attending this university, and it had become very close to my heart. I was learning that God is Spirit – completely good and perfect – and that He created everyone in His image, wholly and solely spiritual and good, lacking nothing.

This spiritual truth filled me with a sweet sense of God’s guiding presence, which I felt all through this experience, even when I had no idea how to proceed. In the following months, as I continued to pray to understand more deeply our true, spiritual identity, I felt irresistibly drawn to apply to a particular college.

So I did – but when September rolled around, I hadn’t heard anything from anyone at the school. A doubting dread blanketed my thought. Questions swirled – not only as to what to do if I was not accepted, but as to what to do at that moment to gain a much-needed sense of peace.

I considered this statement on page 506 in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science: “Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.”

This became my ceaseless prayer, and those ideas of gathering, unfolding, and opening took on a deeper meaning for me. This is what God does for us at every moment! Our life and purpose – to joyfully reflect God’s goodness in unique and abundant ways – are always active, even when we don’t feel we can see exactly what that looks like.

Peace came as I felt lifted to a steady expectancy of good that outshined fearful wondering about what I should do. I knew God was always taking care of me.

I felt the clear directive to patiently wait. And shortly thereafter I very happily received the news that I had been accepted to the college, which ended up being exactly what I needed for going forward personally and spiritually. Even greater than my delight at the acceptance was my gratitude for what this experience taught me about the spiritual joy and uplifting of thought that comes from “praying without ceasing.”

If it seems as though we don’t know what to do, we can always “just keep praying” for divine inspiration and guidance. And we’ll discover that forward steps and goodness are always close at hand.