Topic of the post: planning. I’m at a point in my life where majority of people are planning out there next 5 -10 years. Envisioning where they will be, married or not married, their job, finances, kids or no kids, buying a house, where they will live, etc… I’ve done that. I’m doing that, but Jesus has determined to challenge my thinking, my planning, my vision (more then once).
Odd to imagine that 5 years ago I was considering pursuing a career as an accountant. If you know me at all today, that statement might provoke laughter. An accountant? I can’t identify a job that could be farther away from who I am today. But bound for college, I had to come up with a plan. I had to vision myself 5 years from then and sketch a plan for my life.
Today, I am supposed to be overseas, pursuing a job in international development (still high priority on my agenda). I had “planned” a year ago that August of ’08 I would be volunteering somewhere in Africa. Still in Tempe, AZ.
Right now I’m suppose to have a job. I’m suppose to be saving money for my departure next February, which would allow me to stay overseas for a long period of time. Mali is/was the destination, where family and opportunity are present.
See the pattern? Planning hasn’t quite worked for me.
James 4:13
"Now listen, you who say, “ Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “ If it sit the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
I don’t know where I’ll be in 6 months, a year, absolutely not 5 or 10 years. No idea. Every time I have planned, God’s plan is the one that has prevailed. God’s plan has ended placing me somewhere that I feel completely blessed. That’s what I really want; “God’s will to be done” with my life. It is not an easy concept to live out though; there is a ton amount of trust and uncertainty involved, which has called me to persevere through the circumstances.
James 1:4
"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Perseverance in these circumstances I feel has done just that. The last three months of my life have been challenging in fighting social expectations, searching for direction, and feeling without purpose. I truly believe that God has closed doors and I have remained without a job in the past three month because of this greater plan concept. I can easily say that I have learned more about myself and who my savior is, in these three months than in any other point in my life. And in these three months I have been overwhelmed with blessings. God has provided financially and with various opportunities that have enabled me to follow my “God Placed” passions. (that’s a whole other post though). Amen.
Conclusion: I do not want this post to come off as; that I believe one’s life should involve no planning at all. That’s merely impossible and quite irresponsible. I’m still trying to figure out how to decipher that line. This is what I’ve come up with so far: as followers of Christ, our number initiative is to “Do the Will of God”. If we take the passions and talents God has instilled in us and use them to bring him glory, God will direct us where we fit in his “big” plan. As we receive that direction, we are planning to pursue excellence, but always maintaining Christ at the forefront of everything.
Thoughts, comments, challenges, questions………
