God’s Plan is Better than Mine

God’s Plan is Better than Mine 

By Chantal Huinink 

I can be characterized as having a type A personality. I have commitments at school, work, and church as well as many schedules to coordinate with respect to attendant care. My life often requires that I live according to a schedule. However, recently I have come to terms with the fact that planning everything is over-rated.

If you are like me, the line between what is your responsibility and what you trust God to provide is a difficult one to draw. Often regardless of how much I plan or how much I pray, I continue to struggle with worries about issues big and small. What if my assistant does not show up on time? What if my chair breaks down while I am traveling? What if I cannot finish my assignment by the due date? What if… 

Recently, I read “The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales” by Peter Rollins, which contains many nuggets of wisdom. One short story resonated with me. In this story an old man’s wisdom amounted to realizing that 50% of his life's worries never actually materialized.

Since hearing that story a friend of mine traveled to Central America. He said the most profound thing that he learned there, was that people did not worry about the past or the future. Instead, they put their best efforts into the day's work and enjoyed the time beyond that in fellowship of family and friends. Then I began to consider all the typical things I have planned over the years and it occurred to me that the routines that I have instilled have had comparatively little impact on me becoming who God wants me to be. Rather, it is often the unexpected meetings or unforeseen circumstances that have the most profound spiritual impacts. I could never have planned to go to a doctor's appointment and end up volunteering at the same hospital for the following six years. Likewise, I did not intend to meet a group of Christian musicians who would become lifelong friends while a friend and I were on vacation. More recently, I became bitter when I did not graduate from my degree on schedule yet this seemingly disappointing glitch led to my involvement with Joni and Friends ministries and my wonderful connection to Christian horizons.

Those who fail to plan are not necessarily planning to fail. Instead they may be planning for God to move in their lives. God's perspective is far greater than ours and our plans fail only when He has something more fruitful in store for us. Therefore, if you are coping with disappointment, bring your concerns to God and trust that His plans for your life are far greater than you could ever imagine.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ~Isaiah 55:9