Laced With Grace – Christian Devotions

Plans are funny things

By Guest Blogger November 9, 2007 Character

Plans are easy to make, and easy to break.  As soon as I start planning things God starts changing them.

I have so much to do and it all has to fit perfectly in place so that everything can get done.  The problem is my plans aren’t Gods and He has more important things He wants me to do.  The amazing thing is, when His plans get in my way, my stuff gets done as well–even though I can’t see how it will. The days when He has obviously stepped in and shaken things up like a snow globe are the days when everything that needed to happen happens, and perfectly, with all the gaps fillied in in ways that if they had been done my way–well it wouldn’t have been such a perfect fit.

My plans look more like how I sew–stitches that seem, when I am making them, like they should look perfect, until I step back and see a lopsided mess.

His plans look like an elaborate tapestry with the back as beautifully woven as the front.

I was reminded today about how plans work.   I was talking to a friend who HAD PLANS and they all fell through a few years ago when her marriage ended in divorce.  A year ago she HAD PLANS, which all fell through and which she struggled with God over.  Recently she HAD PLANS but she has realized that God has something better, deeper, and so much more fulfilling in mind that He is slowly working into place.

We got talking about my oldest–my planner.  She plans EVERYTHING and is frustrated and angry if they don’t go her way.  A few years ago she planned her own birthday party down to the last detail–she even went out and bought the “perfect” birthday candles with her own money.  The night before her birthday she stayed over at her grandmothers.  Her sister desperately wanted to give her a “surprise party” but she had everything so planned with all her friends that it didn’t seem  possible.  So, we decided to throw her an extra party, one which she didn’t know about.  It meant using makeshift things since she had things all planned for the friends party.  We invited her grandparents, made a special cake, gathered together some things to make a special surprise.  When she returned home from her visit we surprised her with the makeshift party.

She was shocked to find that this thrown together surprise party was so much more exactly what she wanted than the one she planned herself.

God is waiting to surprise you with the very best and most wonderful thing He can give you and that which will satisfy you more than anything you could plan yourself, and which will fulfill your inermost desire and use your gifts to serve others.  Are you ready for His surprises?  If so then stepping back and getting out of the way so He can work is the next thing you need to do.

Lord, help us to get out of your way so you can give us your very best.  Get us where you want us so your plans can be fulfilled. 

Proverbs19: 21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

7 thoughts on “Plans are funny things”

  4. Linda

    How true those situations have been in my life. We try so hard to make things work the way that we plan, so when it’s all changed, delayed, or just plain “not happnin” we don’t always see it as God’s plan. We easily get freaked out when we should just accept and adjust. Then we can step back an see how it was all for our good.