This Just Wasn’t MY Plan

Plan: strategy, intention, aim, intent, objective, goal, ambition

I remember thinking and saying those words so many times in my life “This isn’t what I (or we) planned!” How well I remember that place of feeling stuck. Our lives were just not going the way we had planned and although it was always the greatest desire of our hearts to trust the Father completely, trusting wasn't easy when our plans were wrecked and our dreams were relinquished to a divine design that we didn't understand.

We knew plenty of scriptures and quotes well that helped us to stay the course. We had "Expect a miracle" signs all over our home. We believed and spoke out “He did it before. He’ll do it again!” “Hold on, my child. Joy comes in the morning!” “When you’ve done all to stand, keep standing!” And I could hear those stories, coming from everywhere, of a plan that isn’t ours, of a God who knows so much better than we do.

Right now, you may be in the middle of trying to figure out what in the world is going on with the plans you made, too. You may be thousands of dollars in debt for a degree that you’re not sure you want any more or for that business start-up investment and “trends” aren’t on your side. You may look over at the empty space next to you in bed, aching for it to be filled with the spouse you thought would be here by now or for the one whose life was cut short. Or maybe your life is everything you hoped it would be, but there’s profound emptiness where contentment should be.

Best laid plans sometimes go awry! How many times do we make a plan, chart a course, set goals, cast vision, and even set out on a long-awaited dream-come-true adventure and it went all wrong? Most of those times, there are logical reasons beyond our control that keep us from our plans. Other times, it’s simply a matter of readjusting a schedule, and the plan can proceed. Changing the course or our mind isn't a bad thing. Having to reconfigure doesn’t make us a flip-flopper. In fact, accepting that God could be planning an even better outcome than what we had planned makes us flexible.

I know how hard it is to be grateful in the midst of uncertainty. It is much easier to look at where we are, line it up with where we thought we would be, and become fearful and frustrated about the differences. But our Heavenly Father knows exactly where we are and exactly where He desires us to be. God is not deaf to our prayers nor blind to our place. His ways are simply better.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

We can be angry that our lives have been disrupted, or we can trust that God is crafting a life for us that is far better than we could ever imagine. One of my favorite lines from the “God’s Not Dead” movie was “It’s not easy, but it’s simple.” I love this quote. It tells us a simple but profound message. Living the life is not always easy, but Christ’s message is simple “Trust me. I’ve got this. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life.” Our plans may go awry, and tough times may come unexpectedly, but we can be grateful for a God who loves us enough to wreck our plans when it is for our good and for His glory.

Maybe today you are smack dab in the middle of a story you would NEVER have chosen for yourself. I know I was supposed to share these words and this post today because God nudged me to tell you “You’re on the brink of a miracle. TRUST ME!" He asks us to have the courage to find the beauty in these times. We may not know what He’s doing, but because we love Him, we can trust that it’s good. He's a good, good Father and so are His best plans for us!

My 2018......and Beyond -- Resolutions

My Word of the Day is Resolution: a firm determination to do something, and not change it. Doesn’t that make sense? Maybe that’s why so many fail at "resolutions". We want a short term fix. A goal has an end date. A resolution is unending.

One of my "goals" with an end date of on or before December 31, 2018, was inspired by a book given to me by my grandson and his wife, “My Grandma: In Her Own Words”. It is a “fill-in-the-blanks" book that asks questions like “What was your home like growing up?” “What was it like to become a mother?” That book inspired me to write my autobiography this year – not for publishing, but to pass on to my family as legacy.

Typical new year's resolutions are actually goals. “Lose 20 pounds”. We get there and we check it off the list – “I made it!” We run that marathon. Check. We get our real estate license. Check. We attend that 6-week Bible Study. Check.

Resolutions are supposed to be a FIRM determination to do something – not with a set end-date, but a lifetime in mind. I've made resolutions that I expect will take me the distance beyond 2018 and for the rest of my life. Here’s a list I’ve started, but I expect to add to it as I press daily to be my best for God.

#1. I RESOLVE to worry less and pray more. I will give my concerns to God. I will pray I become so infused with God's Word that I have the fuel to be a woman of “true grit” – rather, true faith in God’s “keeping power” and trust in His timing, His love for me and His desire for my success.

#2. I RESOLVE to disconnect my mind from my mouth. At this mature age, I’ve amassed a great deal of wisdom. My brain is packed full of firsthand experience of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and I want to save my children, grandchildren and others -- time and energy. But, I RESOLVE to hold my mouth from unsolicited advice, opinions and/or judgments.

#3. I RESOLVE to give 100% focus and attention to my family and friends when I’m in their presence. That means putting away my phone and computer and look in their eyes and listen, full on, like they are the single most valuable and treasured, important persons in my world….because THEY ARE!

#4. I RESOLVE to introduce others to my best friend. Of course my best friend is Jesus. A best friend is someone we talk about a lot. We imitate our best friend. We tell stories about our best friend. I want my best friend to be their best friend. I'll share Him with them every chance I get. I'll teach them a lot about "What would Jesus do? (WWJD).

#5. I RESOLVE to be a “HOPE” dealer by encouraging others with “Nothing is impossible with God!” I RESOLVE to spreading sunshine instead of dark clouds. Hope is great expectation that something GOOD is about to happen. “Let us hold fast to the HOPE we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

These are RESOLUTIONS that will not only set the course for my day, and year….but my entire life. What about you? Did you make New Year’s Resolutions, or LIFETIME Resolutions?