God’s Plan. Not Yours.

Who likes to be in control?  Who likes to know what’s going to happen and make plans so nothing goes wrong?   Me too.  Unfortunately that’s not how life works.  Everyone makes plans only to see them fall apart.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve made plans only for them to fall through at the last second or take me in a whole different direction.  It happened when I was trying to write this blog.  I was trying to plan out exactly what I was going to say word for word before I even opened my computer.  Every day we make plans.  We create this picture perfect plan and are so disappointed when things don’t work out.  What we need to remember is that when things don’t work out like we want, it’s because God is in control and His is the only perfect plan that is going to work out.

Proverbs 16:1 says, “We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer,” and verse 9 says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”  God has a plan for each of us, and no matter how much we want to go in the opposite direction, ultimately, God’s plan is the one that’s going to work out.

I want to be an Occupational Therapist, someone who helps people learn life skills that they have either forgotten or never had in the first place.  I first decided this is what I wanted to do when I met a little girl from my church that has cerebral palsy.  I thought it was amazing what the Occupational Therapists did for her, like helping her learn how to ride a bike.  So I started to formulate a plan.  At first, everything fell into place.  God provided me with a way to get my Master’s degree done in 6 years instead of the traditional 7 by showing me the Occupational Therapy Accelerated Program at ISU, which makes the last year of my Bachelor’s degree the first year of my Master’s.  God provided me with many shadowing opportunities to get the observation hours I need.  My first three semesters at ISU have worked out so well that I got the credits I need and am able to have a job.  Everything was working out perfectly.  So I was starting to make my perfect plan.  That didn’t work out so well.  I needed a reminder from God that this was His plan for me, not mine.  My second semester I took an Intro to Statistics class that is a requirement for the accelerated program.  I thought this class would be a breeze because I am fairly good at math and my mother, who is not so good at math, passed easily.  I didn’t need God.  I was going to pass this class and get my degree all on my own and go on to have my dream job.  I definitely got a nice little wakeup call from God.  Stats was a lot harder than I expected it to be.  I had a really hard time understanding concepts.  I still didn’t really turn to God, even when I was at a B- at midterms.  I thought I could get my grade up.  I had to pass with at least a B.  But I still wasn’t listening to God.  I ended up getting a C+, which is the lowest grade I’ve ever had in my life.  Now I have to retake the class and I have no idea when I’m going to have time to do that.  But I know God is going to provide.  This is His plan.  He will provide time for me to retake the class and this time I won’t be going through it alone.

There are so many more times I’ve made plans and forgotten who is really in control.  I know all of you have too.  We worry so much about making sure everything is going to turn out picture perfect.  But guess what?  If you trust in God and his promise for a good life, I can guarantee that, after everything is said and done, everything will turn out picture perfect.  “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11.

I’m just the daughter of a small town girl… living in a world full of broken plans.