One snowy morning, I left church with a simple "to do" list. It included "Go to
church, go home, and relax with the family." Nowhere on the list was "fishtail
around an icy curve, become airborne, flip my van, barely miss a telephone pole,
puncture the gas tank, and crash upside down in a cow pasture." But that’s just
what I did.
My plans flew out the shattered windshield, as I peered out at the world upside
down. (Does it turn your world upside down when things don’t go as you’d
planned?) Amid the odorous cow pies, I observed a herd of hefty Holsteins
hot-footing it away from the accordion-shaped vehicle, which had sailed over the
barbed wire fence.
This was not my idea of a fun afternoon. There I was, standing on my head,
trying to pry open a door that was scrunched into the side of a hill. I smelled
gas leaking into the van and I heard my knees knocking. As I pulled glass shards
from my head, I envisioned this gas-filled time bomb exploding and blasting me
heavenward like a circus clown from a canon. All I could do was tremble and
pray. Once again, life had happened while I was making other plans.
While I did not fly to the moon, and my van did not explode, I was rescued by a
passing motorist and whisked away in an ambulance to the Emergency Room. As is
often the case, my plans changed in the blink of an eye.
When I think I’ve planned for all the details and I lay out the perfect
blueprint for my life, here’s what usually happens: The reality bird comes along
and lays an ugly, giant egg in the middle of my agenda!
I’ve learned that, rather than falling into place, life will more likely fall to
pieces. It’s like an ice cream cone. I might think I have it licked; but then it
drips all over me.
"But," I say to myself, "Life wasn't supposed to be this way!" I don’t know
about you, but I planned to stay
healthy/wealthy/young/beautiful/married/happy/unwrinkled, stretch mark free, and
flabless forever. (You can fill in your own blanks.)
Wait a minute. Am I looking at life from the viewpoint of what I want or from
God’s perspective of what is best?
Most people think God wants them to have an easy, comfortable life, getting what
they want when they want it. While it’s true that God enjoys giving good things
to His children, they’re often not physical things. He wants to provide
invisible gifts, such as a closer relationship with Him.
God’s ultimate goal is for me to become like Him. That doesn’t happen when
everything’s rosy.
When my plans change, I tend to forget that God has a higher goal for me than
just a life of ease. He wants to work on my heart and build my character. I
believe God cares about my struggles and He hurts when I hurt, but what is most
important to Him is developing in me faith, patience, goodness, and gentleness.
In other words, God wants to make me like Jesus. Though He doesn’t cause
struggles and hardships, He uses them to accomplish His goals for my life.
According to Philippians 3:20, "Our citizenship is in heaven." We were created
for a different life than this one on earth. This one is just a rehearsal
designed to prepare us for the real thing.
When my plans don’t succeed, I ask what God’s plan might be. Could it be that He
allowed a certain situation to redirect my focus? Could He be trying to get my
tunnel vision off myself? Maybe He wants to lead me toward a closer relationship
with Him.
Instead of telling God my plan and making Him laugh, maybe I should seek to know
HIS plan and make Him smile.
Marsha Jordan hugsandhope@gmail.com
Author of Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter Laugh out loud, inspirational essays
Illustrated by critically ill children
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