Planned Steps

A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
~ Proverbs 16:9

Although we cannot change the direction of the wind, we can adjust our sails.
~ Unknown

Life is funny. We humans think that we can so discern God's plans and how He will choose to work in our lives and in the lives of others. The thing is that God is still a God who loves to surprise us - so often doing things that keep us on our toes and make us pull up short and say, "Now just what the heck was that?" I know that God's surprises are not always fun - I think we all know that. However, their existence is so critical to our faith! If we always knew how God would act and where He would send us and what He would ask of us then how little dependence we would ever have on Him! The fact that He does surprise us should not be something that frustrates us or causes us to fear - instead it should be something that we look at with eyes wide open and arms outstretched, treasuring the moments of surprise that allow us to leap off the side of the boat into the arms of God! His surprises will keep coming but it's always our decision whether we will choose to embrace the changes in direction with a growing faith in the sovereignty of God or whether we'll stay on the shore of certainty and allow our faith to grow weak.

Now just so I don't come across as sounding callous or anything, please know that I deeply understand that some of the things God allows in our lives cause immense pain and sorrow and struggle and that it's not easy to just run forward and embrace the situation - believe me, I know. In those moments, when you're battling things that are so much larger than you believe that you can ever handle, please just know that at those times God holds on to you and longs to comfort you even as He allows you to face the difficulties. Know too, that my heart breaks for the pain that those around me experience and that if it were ever in my ability, I would do anything that I could to remove that pain from you. This world, mired in sin and shortcomings, never delivers all that we hope for but there is always the truth of a great God who cares about you intimately and loves you intently and cries with you as you weep. Allow Him to hold you until such time as you can walk forward knowing that His hand supports you and that your faith is founded on the eternal goodness of a great God.