Have you ever noticed that life doesn’t always go as planned? Okay, you can stop laughing now. The truth is, that while most of us enjoy some spontaneity in our lives, there’s something deeply satisfying about a good plan. Even better if it’s written down. Better still if it’s color-coded.
We map things out, (perhaps) pray over them, and feel a quiet confidence that we’re moving in the right direction. And then—life shifts. Doors close. Timelines stretch. The plan… well, it becomes more of a mere suggestion. Then the suggestion falls apart, and we’re left scrambling for a “new and improved” plan to help us deal with the chaos.
“The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.”
These words from Proverbs 16:9 sound comforting, until we realize God’s direction doesn’t always match our expectations.
If we can pause long enough to reflect on our heritage, our Wesleyan understanding of grace tells us that God is always at work ahead of us—preparing, nudging, shaping. If – and that’s a big “if” – we let him. Which means even the interruptions we didn’t plan for aren’t outside his care for us. What feels like unholy disruption may actually be divine redirection.
Sometimes God doesn’t destroy our plans—he rewrites them. Not to cause chaos and panic, but to direct us to something he wants us to see, to remind us to pray and lean on him, or to turn us toward something better.
Of course, the thing about being human is that we don’t have to accept God’s plan. We can fight against it, reject it, or try to adapt it to what we want to see happen. But, if we’re honest, God’s version is usually better… just often less convenient in the moment.
So, the next time you find yourself wanting to scream, “Why doesn’t anything go as planned?” take a minute and step back. Open yourself to the possibility that God might just have a different plan for you in that moment. And, it might be better.
Just a random pondering for a day that’s just getting started … and I’m wondering when my to-do list for the day will go sideways.
Prayer: Lord, when my plans unravel, keep me from unraveling with them. Help me trust that your direction is better than my intention. Amen.
