The Master Plan

For years I'd been wandering, wondering where God would put me. I prayed but didn't listen for an answer, and would follow any lead that I thought God sent me. It didn't matter what came down the pike, because I thought God sent me an answer to prayer.

*BUZZ!* Wrong answer!

Oh, I was really good at making plans. I had plans, back-up plans, and back-up, back-up plans. I had a binder filled with plans of the great ideas I was going to do, and everything I was going to accomplish. 

With all this frenzied planning going on, I was too busy to hear God laughing.

Was His laughter mocking me? No. He was laughing because my plans aren't His plans. You see, I had a Master Plan, but I forgot to plan with the Master. 

No wonder He was laughing when I kept revising plans over and over- and failed over and over. The look on my face must have been priceless!

It's like us watching our kids try something new and quite impossible. "Okay Mom, watch me lift a car like Superman!" And we smile as our toddlers try to lift the family mini-van. They're so cute when they try, but you know they'll come running up afterwards, asking why they couldn't do it. Your chuckles aren't mean- you just wish they had talked to you first.

So there stood God, grinning as I tried plan after plan. Only when I failed a plethora of times did I come to Him, finally willing to listen.

God did and does have a plan for me. Oh, He won't tell me all of it, but He gives bits and pieces when I need them. I'm not the best student either, so sometimes I need to go back and ask Him again-"Are You sure this is where You want me?" 

I have to be patient and listen for His answer- Which is not easy sometimes.

I'm a planning master. When I'm 'in the zone' (or should I say 'in His zone') things run smoother than cocoa butter on a warm baby's butt. I love when that happens. But when my plans take me off track? Let's just say it's a bumpier ride than a jeep with no shocks going up a mountain of cobblestones.

Maybe you're like me and make plans until you're exhausted. Maybe you've even heard Him laugh as you tried to lift your mini-van. Just remember that you can always go back to Him and ask why things didn't work out as you planned- the answer might just be because He was left out of the planning process!

If you get an answer right away- great! If you don't, just step back, take a deep breath, and pray. But more importantly, listen. He's there for you. He just might need a minute to stop chuckling!