The grand plan was all written out in my head. I knew what my routine would look like, what my goals were, and what to expect in the coming weeks. Then… the Lord changed everything.
Isn’t it funny how sometimes we think we’ve got everything figured out, only to discover we are just getting started? One minute we’ve got this lovely vision of things to come and the next minute the Lord is redirecting us to something even better.
Recently, I found myself in this position. I had signed up to participate in a particular event. I was ready to go, excited to be a part of something incredible. The first week, the Lord was trying to communicate something to me, but I just wasn’t hearing it. The second week, the message was unmistakable. I was not supposed to be there.
The event itself was a great experience and the women there were truly incredible. There was nothing wrong with the event, the Lord was just trying to convey a message and I was being hard-headed.
So, what was the message? It was simply this… “Now is not the time.” No shouts, no demands, nothing outstanding; just a basic message which had a world of weight to it. This event was a good thing, but it was something which needed to be put on hold. Perhaps sometime in the future this might be something to consider, but now is not it.
I felt quite guilty about quietly sneaking out of the event. (Yes, I snuck out. How terrible of me!) However, the minute I reached fresh air and returned to my car, I felt a wave of peace come over me. I knew I was doing the right thing. The entire drive home, the Lord gave me a new plan. I now knew what I was supposed to be doing.
Why did He allow me to begin something He knew I shouldn’t be a part of? I think it was for my benefit. If I hadn’t been allowed to proceed, I would have second guessed my choice or wondered if I was making the right decision. By allowing me to proceed, He was showing me the path I could choose and allowing me to grow. Sometimes we have to see the wrong path (not bad, just wrong for us) before we can choose the right.
My vision has been changed; my plan for the next several months slightly altered. Nothing dramatic from an outside perspective, but in simple ways which will make a larger impact. While I didn’t see this change of plans coming, I know it was the right move and I look forward to seeing what it brings.
How do you handle a change in plans?
“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 a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
– James 4:13-15
A Homeschool Mom 
I find this post very striking for me. It is very similar to what my spouse experiences. I cannot begin to say how often my spouse is “told” to not do something or whatever we have planned for our children is not right. She follows the directions. I am very stubborn and will proceed forward. I hate to say it, but my spouse is right every time. Normally, this happens to her through dreams and prayers. The feeling is not very different than yours.
Maybe I should just submit.
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Submitting is hard. We often second guess ourselves and wonder if we are really “hearing” the Lord or just being led astray from our original goal.
Your wife is a lovely example of wisdom and obedience.
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Whine. 🙂 Until He kicks me so hard in the head I shut up.
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Totally loved this post! It described my decision last year to step aside from a group of friends. The loss was painful but the Lord’s reward was an injection of peace and passion into my marriage. We are tighter as a family, because God literally wrung my neck out of it.
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It’s funny how things change, isn’t it? At the time of the post, one specific area of my life was being changed. Since then, an entirely new (and much more substantial) area has also come to light. All changes for the better and, as you mentioned, to bring our family closer together.
They say change comes in threes; I wonder what’s next? 🙂
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Oh I can relate to this one. I find it especially hard to let go after I’ve put so much time and effort and planning into something. It’s hard to see sometimes that God’s best might mean quitting. It doesn’t make sense that those two things would go together, but His way doesn’t always make sense to us. Thank you for the reminder to relinquish control to Him. 🙂
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