"Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails"
Proverbs 19:21
Amazing Boy had a baseball game this morning. He and the Apple of my Eye had gone early, to be there for practice, and I dropped my Awesome Girl off to hang out with her friends, and then I was driving straight from there to the game. But as I drove away from her, I realized my directions to the game were going from our house. That was north of the game. I was coming from south. But it's not as easy a fix as just going the other way on the freeway. The baseball field is in a community that's quite a bit away from the freeway, so I was going to need to go surface streets.
Now, I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I do not have a very good sense of direction. I can read a map ~ generally ~ but I don't have a good instinct for which the direction I should go. If the sun is setting, I can identify west, but mostly, north is whichever way I'm facing. The year before I was married, my parents took my sisters and me to Great Britain on vacation. We were there several days, so we were starting to get a feel for which was the subway, and which way was the Thames, and which way was that pub where we had such a great lunch. And yet, when we came out the door of our flat, if my family asked me, which way should we go? I would tell them what I thought, and we would do the opposite. And invariably, they'd be right, and I'd be wrong. What can I say? It's a gift.
So I knew I could successfully get to the baseball fields from where I was; the problem was, I didn't know the best way to get there. So I made up my mind which route made the most sense, but as I got nearer to that street, I had the funny feeling it was closed. Road repairs or something. Sure enough, when I got there, there was a detour sign. So I thought to myself, "okay, I'll take option #2 instead," and I made a U-turn, then made a right, and headed off in that direction. But the closer I got to the street I planned to take, the more I realized that wasn't the best route. "Ooh!" I thought to myself, "I'll take option #3, instead!" And I did. Bypassed Option #2, turned left on Option #3, and I was at the game in a jiffy.
Really, Option #3 was the best choice from the beginning. But I didn't realize it because I don't have a good sense of which streets and freeways will end up where. I have to rely on my ability to make last-minute decisions, since I lack the knack for planning ahead.
Living a life wanting His will is like that. We can plan ahead to our heart's content, but that doesn't mean that: A) it's going to happen, and 2) that's what we're still going to want when we get there. We can make decisions based on the facts we have at the time, but things change. All the more reason to trust Him. Being in His Word frequently will give us direction, and guidance. Then, as we get close to a decision-making scenario, we're only some prayer and confirmation away. I had no idea I was going to take Option #3, but I was headed in the right direction the whole time. He used circumstances to turn me around after Option #1, and wisdom to guide me away from Option #2.
My goal in life is to always be in the general direction of His will. I can't know everything in advance, but if I have a relationship with Him, if I am dependent on Him, then I can easily be guided ~ day by day, decision by decision... nudged by Him into the plans He has for me; which is exactly the destination I'm looking for.
~ "Do not conform to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve
what God's will is ~
His good, pleasing and perfect will" ~
Romans 12:2
No comments:
Post a Comment