Change of Plans

Big plans, fun plans – three years in the making plans. Ever have those kind of plans – only to have them dissolve before your very eyes?

Happens all the time: broken down RV on the side of the road, missed flight, sick for the whole trip, something bad happens back home and have to leave when you just got there. Hard to sigh and look up, let go, and with opens hands say, “Jesus, what is Your plan?”

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.“ (Proverbs 16:9 NLT)

Whether it’s trips or life – we plan, but God determines. It’s easy when all goes according to plan – but when everything goes awry? We question and try to come up with ‘plan b’ – we blame – we pout.

But we miss the Planner when we’re the leader. Setbacks or botched plans aren’t the point – they can put our focus on all the wrong things, but can they be used, instead, to see beyond ourselves and our disappointments?

“We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.” (Proverbs 16:1 NLT)

I know what you’re thinking – but I’m not advocating lack of planning. I’m thinking we often neglect to ask the Master Planner to direct us, to give us the right answers. We go head-long into what we want to do, and then ask ‘what happened’ when it all falls apart.

I think the lesson I just learned from a trip that seemed miserable in every possible way is this: before we get carried away with all the details, maybe a humble question or two is in order along the way. The Holy Spirit is with us in all things, so why not our plans? How about stopping long enough to listen with an open heart and ask: “What do you think, Jesus, how about these ideas?”

And, still, in this fallen world things won’t always go right. Will we linger long enough to see the Planner has something in mind regardless how bad things might look? Change of plans – life lessons unfolding before us. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13 BSB)