Plans

 I remember toward the end of 2019 being super excited for the next year to come. I was hopeful that it was going to be better than 2019 and figured it couldn't be any worse. This was one of those times that I was super thankful that we can't see what is ahead. No one could have predicted that 2020 was going to usher in a pandemic that left us reeling, that it would be super divisive, and bring out the ugly in us. However, it taught us at least two things.

The first, that plans are fleeting. Proverbs 19:21 states, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Everyone had plans and none of us could have anticipated having our calendar wiped clean. Not just for a few weeks, but for the better part of a year. Most were sent home from work, we couldn't travel, there were mask mandates, travel mandates and it seemed the whole world was locked down. It was forced rest, a stop, or a pause. The Lord knows what we need, even if we don't.

The second, is that life is fragile. Th

ere is a saying that goes, "Life is fragile handle with care." Most of us don't live like this. We think that nothing can touch us. Yet, most of us knew people who got sick, were in the hospital, or even died from Covid. For those who didn't think this was all a political stunt and that everyone was lying about how bad it was, it was a scary time. In some ways, it still is. We have a better understanding of Covid, as much as we can with all the conflicting reports, but we know that it will make you sick and you should wash your hands and do the best you can to take care of yourself, which looks different for each person.

But, there were gifts that 2020 brought us as well. Most of us had more time with our families and for us, it was especially precious as Kayla would soon be going off to college. It also gave us the gift of seeing people's true colors. We think people are a certain way, but when something like this happens it reveals their true colors. Honestly, that was one of the hardest things for me as well. 

The thing that gave me hope in all of it though is my favorite Bible verse. It is Jeremiah 29:11 "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." This has been my favorite verse for quite a few years and I have quite a few favorite verses. But, in times of hardship this is the one that I always go back to. Why? Because of the first part, "I know the plans I have for you." When we were in Greece and I was depressed beyond measure, I could literally feel the darkness surrounding me, my kids were depressed, and it was so hard. Yet, I KNEW that God had a plan for me. I may not have known the plan, but I could put my hope and trust in Him, because He had a plan. When we were moving countries and not sure what the next step would be, or even where we would end up, God had a plan and that is what I clung to. Some people get caught up in the "plans to prosper you," part, but not me. I don't need prosperity, I need God. I need to know that when I don't know the plan, God does. When I can't see the outcome, God can. When I can't make sense of a situation, God can. When I can't see what good is going to come out of the current situation, God can. When I don't understand why people act a certain way, God does. I don't need to know all the answers and outcomes, I just need to trust that God has the answers and He knows that outcome. That is good enough for me. I learned in Greece a truth that the Bible shares just two verses further, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Seeking God and finding Him is something I try to do every single day. Especially in the hard, I seek to find the good. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for each and every day, when are plans are shattered, when our government disappoints us, in the fights with our spouses or kids, good can still be found. God has a plan in each and every thing. We may not know it, we may not even agree with it, but his plans are better than our plans.

My prayer for you is that you would seek God with all your heart and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. I hope that you KNOW that God has a good plan plan for you, even when it doesn't seem like it, and that this brings you a measure of encouragement like it does to me.

To God be the glory.