Plans

I am a planner. I feel peaceful and at ease when I have a good planned; I feel worried and distressed when I do not. A year ago I began the adventure of grad school. I started taking a couple of distance courses at a particular school while Kassie and I prayed about where we needed to be for the next couple of years. Wrapped up in the decision were housing, work and school. I analyzed it from every possible angle. I have on my computer multiple spreadsheets outline every course that I might take at any given school, when I would take them and the cost of each one. I talked to people who attended the various schools. I prayed. I read. Then, I made a decision. I applied to the school that seemed like the best fit, full of faith that I was in the right place.

This week, I received my rejection letter from that school. My plans were thrown out the window, and it was completely outside of my control. I went through one whole day of pouting. Then, there was the panic of, “what now? Plan B? Does God have a plan B for my life?” I went to see a good friend on Friday. He is a faithful follower of Jesus. He is also the paradigm of health and fitness. He is having tests run in Little Rock today that will tell how serious the cancer in his body is and what his chances are. He said things are not looking good. You know what he also said? He said, “There is no plan B with God. He knows what He has for me. My job is to be faithful and obedient.” Puts things in perspective, huh?

Mike Newman pointed out to the Antioch crew this week that every time Scripture says, “this is God’s will for your life” it is always talking about living righteously in the present, not making a big decision for the future. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart
/ And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him
/ And He will make your paths straight.” Notice that it does not say, “He will show you your path.” It says that He will make it straight. This seems to imply that our job is to walk forward. Forward after what? Hebrews 12 says that we run after Jesus. Fix our eyes on Jesus and run forward. He will order the rest.

Still working on that one…

For His glory and our joy,

Nick