A Recurring Thought

On my way into church this morning at 5 a.m., I stepped out of my car for a moment. It was about 53 degrees with a moderate breeze. Instantly, it carried me back nearly 45 years, to my first time away from home. I was at Lackland Air Force Base in boot camp. We would get up, go downstairs, and line up for breakfast. It was November then too—right around this time of year.

I was young and carried big dreams of how my life would turn out. Of course, those plans look nothing like where I am today. Did something go wrong? Did I make the wrong choices? Those questions still surface. I’ve felt them before, but this morning they landed with more weight, simply because they were fresh.

Where I thought I would be and where I actually am sit so far apart. That was my first thought. Then I began to think about God’s will. Is it possible this has been His plan for me all along? Why didn’t He let me in on the details? And if He had, would I have tried to change things and ended up missing what He intended?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

Right now, as I look at everything I’ve walked through and everything I am today, I wouldn’t change a thing. Jesus is the biggest and best part of my life. My wife is second. My work is third. The way things have unfolded is because God has been in control. He had a plan. Whether I liked every part of it or not, that plan was for me, and I am grateful for the hardships and the ups and downs that shaped me.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. — Proverbs 16:9

My life is not finished. There will be more ups and downs. Some of the downs may feel overwhelming. But I will remember that Jesus is in control, and I know He will always take care of me.

A life lesson:

The gap between the life you once imagined and the life you actually have is not always a sign that something went wrong. Sometimes it is the quiet evidence that a better plan was at work—one you could not have drawn for yourself. The question is not whether your path has matched the old map. The question is whether you are willing to trust the One who has been writing the real one all along.