Future Planners of America

As I was driving to a birthday party this afternoon, I was listening intently to a conversation between my 9 year old and her friend. They were discussing what cars they would purchase when they turned 16. My daughter Sarah was telling her friend Hannah that she was planning on buying a brand new sports car. "It think it will cost a few thousand dollars," she added. Then Hannah spoke up. "Yes I'm planning on buying a car too and then when I get married, I will trade in my car and my husband's car and buy 1 car. Then I will drive him to work."

I almost busted out laughing! To me, everything they were discussing was plain ol' silly! But there was nothing silly about what these two planners were discussing. They were dead serious!

Driving down the road listening to all of this, thinking about how there was no possible way that my daughter would purchase a sports car, brand new, for a few thousand dollars, when she was 16 years old, God spoke very loudly to my heart.

"There is no difference between their absurd planning and yours." 

You see, for months I have been in a wrestling match with God over control and planning of my life. And God continually keeps me in a place where I am completely out of control. Friends, I am loosing the match! And as weary as I'm getting, hoping for some false sense of control and simplicity in my life, I keep fighting. (Yes, I am a dumb woman! You can say it!)

God's Word says in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways my ways."
In other words, God's mind, plan, and purpose for my life is utterly, completely incomprehensible. And no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to figure out the why's and the details to His plans. My job is to just trust that my Perfect, Loving, Awesome, All-Knowing Heavenly Father can only do what's best for me - even if it's painful or makes no sense or seems backwards. My plans for how I think things should go in my life is just as silly as my daughter's plans for her sports car at 16!

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts higher than your thoughts." -- Isaiah 55:9