I Have a Plan
” A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.” Prov. 16:9
My career requires a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education hours per year. Some of those hours are quite specific. Others allow flexibility based on opportunities. I have made it a practice to download and print an agenda for each training session and obtain the signature of the trainer for verification. Usually the trainer freely provides their signature. But in some instances, I am unable to get them to sign off on my agenda. At times, that creates a problem for me at audit.
I am a planner. During the first 2-3 minutes of every day, even while on vacation, my mind begins to prioritize goals for the day. It is something I do on a subconscious level most days. Other days I make long lists, prioritize their order and check them off one by one.
Sound compulsive to you? Perhaps it is. But to be honest, it is the only way I can manage the workload of my secular job, family responsibilities and ministry opportunities. And truthfully, it invigorates me to set and achieve goals. I am convinced that most of the time it is a good practice.
But in the other circumstances of life, sometimes this tendency sets me up for frustration. And disappointment. Life has that x factor. Variables that we cannot foresee. Opportunities we could never imagine. Obstacles that stubbornly refuse to move.
That is when I am reminded once again that He is God and I am not! He does not have to “sign off on my agenda”. He does not have to explain His reasoning, order or purpose. He is omniscient. All knowing. And in those times, I have to let go of my plans and follow. Trust… Yield…
How many times have I come up with a strategy, only later to realize that the Lord spared me from calamity by redirecting my steps? We are told in the Bible that “when having done all, to stand.” But sometimes we have a hard time discerning where the line of “having done all” ends and where the God-variable begins.
The Lord sees it all- from beginning to end. He is never surprised. He is never taken aback. He always sees what is coming next. But we are constantly assaulted by the unexpected in life. I am convinced that He allows that so that we never forget our dependence on Him. He never intended for us to be independent. But, rather, Christ-dependent.
Are you willing to lay aside your plans and leave the directing to Him?
Dear Lord, forgive me for relying on myself too often. Help me to recognize my dependence on you and to rest in your sufficiency. Guide me. Direct me. Teach me, I pray! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
What a great reminder, Sherrie. I too have plans for every day. However, the older I get, the more those plans are very loosely held in my hands.