God Has A Better Plan

Image courtesy of Sarah Ross, via CC 2.0.

(Estimated reading time: 00:02:57)

God Has A Better Plan

Our plans are meant to defect. But not by us. By God.

I had a plan. Not the best one, but it was mine all the same. It wasn’t very elaborate and called for little to no attention. I was working a job I thought I loved. All I wanted was to move up the corporate ladder, buy me a piece of Trinidad and Tobago I could have called my own, get married and have some babies. Simple.

The problem was, did you hear any mention of God there? Nope. God was my side dish. Someone I claimed as my own when I was in trouble, or it was convenient. And even as I write today, I still struggle with that. Not to mention, the life I had woven for myself was MESSY! That’s another topic for another time all in itself.

My five-year-old daughter always has a plan. She will list it, draw it, you name it.

If only I paid much attention to finding details in my younger years. Then at least, in my mind, I could feel justified in being angry at God for switching things up on me.

I came from a VERY humble background. So the little life I had put together (or so I thought) for myself, had become what I use to identify myself. As such, it took me what seems like forever to start accepting God’s redirected plans for my life. Not to mention, having uprooted and leaving everyone and everything I knew, I ended up in a state of depression for a very long time. I WAS happy, but, I SERIOUSLY underestimated the effect the move would have had on me. More on that another time, though.

The Doubts

I was always questioning. Why couldn’t life go how I wanted it? Why couldn’t he work it out the way I wanted? It was simple enough for him to fulfill! Who told him I wanted to stay at home AND homeschool! Homeschool? What is that!? He didn’t get this right! This life is NOT what I asked of him!

For a long time, I couldn’t see the utter selfishness in my stubbornness towards God. And also towards the beautiful people he had now blessed me with being able to call my family. I was blind for far too long thinking about ‘all’ I didn’t get, that I couldn’t see the excellent new plan God had gifted me.

Now I realize how special I must be in the eyes of God. Free of charge, and despite me, he looked over the plans I had for myself. He analyzed them. Saw all the flaws in my drawings that I never paid enough attention to see, and drew out a beautiful new one, crafted especially for me.

But I am human. And as gracious as God was towards me, I did not take his gift and run. Nope. It took me tortoise time to accept. To start enjoying the gift of this new life he has given me. He gave me a diamond that I was unwilling to exchange it for my little rock.

A Ray Of Light

The uncertainty that God knows best for me still rears its ugly head. But now when it does, I have identifiable proof that he knows what he’s doing. And four of them live with me. Reminding me daily that doesn’t matter what I thought I wanted unless it had them all drafted in, I knew nothing of what I was doing. That God’s plan for me is bigger and better than what I had for myself. The Bible says: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21 NIV) Oh, how faithful God’s word is.

Everyone has a different story, and this is a clip from mine. But what changes has God made to your life’s plan that is difficult to accept? Those that even with time you still find yourself asking for God to help you to receive.

I pray God strengthens us to turn more towards him and to have the courage to do so when like it. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)- 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.