When God Doesn’t Follow the Plan You Laid Out for Him....

Jesus’ return is described as something very sudden. It’ll be as fast as lightening. Angels sounding trumpets. Not knowing the day or the hour. At the blink of an eye. Like a thief in the night. A GLORIOUS occasion. HOWEVER.....I just find it unfortunate that it’s going to be so fast. 

See if He would just let me plan it, it would be a much more dramatic entrance. Imagine a normal sunny day, and then the sky goes dark.......the angels blast the trumpets and all of a sudden Aloe Blacc’s chorus from his song “The Man” comes from nowhere........

“Go ahead and tell everybody......

I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man.....

Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am........”

While Jesus has His arms stretched out on each side, nodding His head as His face look towards the sky and His eyes closed just coming down on His big, white, fluffy cloud......it honestly doesn’t even sound like something He would do, but wouldn’t that be amazing!?!?!?!?!

He didn’t ask me though so I’m not going to worry about. He‘s had His return planned for a while now......before I was even thought of. He knows best. 

I’ve had to remind myself of that almost daily. That specific truth is especially harder for people like me. You see, I appreciate a plan, a schedule, an itinerary...anything that makes me feel like I’m in some kind of a controlled environment. I just need to know what’s happening so I can be mentally prepared to make the day successful. The more detailed the better...It’s good for me and the people around me.

I used to have a “life plan” and I was extremely proud of it. It was a very detailed outline of my career path, plans for marriage and starting a family. I planned on graduating with a bachelor and masters in six years, having a career conducting economic research, meeting and dating my future husband for four years, being engaged for one, getting married on September 21st (all my Earth, Wind, and Fire fans should know why), and for a reason I can no longer remember my first child would be born April 30th. 

I’ve already mentioned in an earlier post about the epic fail in the marriage/babies department, but my career path was going as planned. I graduated with a Economics degree in four years and received my masters degree in a year and eager to start my career. I had many interviews, but I didn’t land a job. 

“Ok, God” I said, “Remember the plan we had (you know, the one I made for you)????? I’ve graduated and now I need you to send me the job.” While I was waiting on God to continue on with my life plan I was busy working a part time job, that turned into two, then three jobs. 

Years later with no dream job I was getting worried and needed God follow through on my/our plan. Through the years I have had different opportunities to get my name out there in the research world, but most of my time has been spent releasing my death grip on my life plan. My plan was good, but it had no room for growth, no room to stop and appreciate life and family. No room to have faith and trust God to present the opportunity. 

So I’ve had to learn the hard way. I’ve spent these years growing in faith and in trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 says to “Trust in the Lord with all Your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Every path. He’s got it. He knows best. Everything thing that’s happened (or not....or not yet) in my life has been purposeful. He’s had it planned for a while. The career that He planned and I’ve dreamed of is coming...and I can’t wait to tell you about it!