“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”       (Proverbs 19:21)

I was told about a young pastor who had been called to serve a congregation.  There were many who had misgivings about the placement, concerned that he just wasn’t a good fit.  During his first Sunday sermon, the new minister told the congregation about himself and how this assignment was, for sure, the highlight of his life to date.  As he relayed his life’s journey thus far, he stated that he was anxious to also hear about theirs. Yet there were the skeptics who felt that the position would be too overwhelming for what this pastor would be capable of providing.  And whether they were correct or whether it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, it was not long until their emergent leader determined it necessary to submit his resignation.

When I heard this, I speculated on what emotions the young pastor had experienced.  Had he felt defeated? Did he question if he was capable of ministering to a congregation at all?  Had his self-confidence been shattered?  I would like to think that his faith was strong enough to know that there would be new opportunities.  Surely if he felt called to serve, then God would use him to minister for His purpose. And maybe that short-lived pastorate was just a life lesson for what would become his next calling.

Seldom are the plans set forth in our youth fulfilled quite the way we envision them.  As we journey through life, we recognize that while we are free to ‘do our own thing’ – those who choose to walk with God are subject to His purposes.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God creates behind the scenes, shaping the events, giving us opportunity to serve Him through the gifts He has provided.  In that regard, it would be best if we could let go of the past, because it often interferes with what yet needs to be accomplished. For most of us, this is easy to say and difficult to do. So it becomes a work in progress, as even Paul acknowledged. “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).

If we believe that our God has a design for a world that creates order out of disorder, then surely we must also believe that He has a plan intricate enough for those who love Him. Maria von Trapp said: “It will be very interesting one day to follow the pattern of our life as it is spread out like a beautiful tapestry. As long as we live here we see only the reverse side of the weaving, and very often the pattern, with its threads running wildly, doesn’t seem to make sense.  Someday, however, we shall understand. In looking back over the years we can discover how a red thread goes through the pattern of our life: the Will of God.”  And so . . . when we come to recognize that the plans of our heart are not always the ones that God can use for His purpose, we realize that it is there in the midst of our disappointments where we are often blessed to find God’s appointments.

REFLECTION: What would your life look like if you could start off with a clean slate?
When your Journey doesn’t seem to be going the way you had it planned – do you allow God to comfort you and provide peace in your heart while He renews your spirit? Can you recall a time when you were sure you had failed that in reality turned out to be a blessing in disguise?

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