“The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
I had a plan. This was gonna be the January my house was
so organized that Martha Stewart would personally visit to take notes. Instead, I had to stay in bed for days just trying to breathe as I fought off some flu
imposter. For the new semester, I was going to be so prepared that I would
dazzle my students with my knowledge of literature and my rapier wit. Instead, I
showed up to the first day of class with a bad case of laryngitis and a hacking
cough. And that exercise plan? It went out the window and was replaced by a
regimen of vitamin C, zinc and antibiotics. Sigh. I had a plan.
God has a plan too. He promises in Jeremiah 29:11 that He
has a good plan for each of us. Ever-faithful, ever-prepared, ever-gracious, my
sickness did not derail His plan. He protected me all fall semester from numerous
illnesses to which I was exposed and allowed me to enjoy the holidays before I
got sick. He used friends to minister to me and remind me how much I am loved
and how to bless others when they are in need. Still, I missed my new year’s
rituals of contemplation and simplification. But with God, every day can be a
new beginning. So now that I am nearly well, I am re-starting my new year and I
am excited to see what God has in store for it. Instead of hoping my plan comes
to pass, I will be praying that God’s does.
“Father, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
(Matt. 6:10)
So true Christie! God has redirected my plans many times. Some of those times have resulted in the most incredible blessings for me. I'm sure I'll learn the purpose of His redirection of the other plans when I get to Heaven, but by then, it won't matter and I probably won't even care. God is good!
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