The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley
Or so they say... and so it would seem at times. How often we have had to cancel a much anticipated visit for a child who got up sick; or the times we have had to scrounge up dinner from who knows where because someone (no names mentioned!) left the food unattended and let it burn to the point of no return. And some days just go so completely haywire, you wonder why you even bothered getting out of bed that morning.
As unbelievable as it may sound, the Lord is in charge of those days too: just waiting for you to lean more into Him, to ask for His peace and strength. But that is not what I was going to write about. I was going to focus more on life plans and how sometimes they just don't go the way you imagined, planned, and even wrote down they would.
Spend ten minutes in the company of a young child, prod them with a couple of questions, and you will get the full run down of what they plan to do when they are grown up. Oh! Far distant blessed day! Will it never come? I remember planning my entire life what I would do after school - the options were widely varied from year to year, month to month - dare I say... day to day... ;) I remember a few of those options: a florist (hay fever galore!), a map draw-er (I HATE art) and a professional tennis player (I can't think where I even got that idea from! Asthma!) Needless to say, none of those options were long term commitments. A friend of ours once said that kids change their dreams as often as they change their underwear, and I am inclined to agree with her. ;P
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
I love this verse - perhaps because I have experienced it in my own life... It is so comforting to know that everything we do is in the Lord's control, and if we are in sinc with Him, He will guide us wherever He wants us to go. The Lord's will is not based on whim. He has planned our ways before the age of time, and has woven our story into the tapestry of eternity. The right opportunities will arise, the right people walk in, the right words spoken exactly when we need them to. Why? And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) We are called, and if we follow, He will orchestrate our lives to bring about the best for us, and we will live a blessed life on earth and an eternity in heaven. This is not to say we will never have hardships in our lives - of course we will! That is the result of sin, and just because we are saved does not exclude us from them either. It just means that when we face hard times, we will have hope and a source of peace from which to draw daily refreshing strength. And we can be sure that the best will result from suffering, although we may not know what that is this side of heaven. Who knows how many lives we may touch without us even knowing? It is an exciting thought... Enough so to make me want to trust God with the rest of my life forever! :)
There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)
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