When Plans Take a Detour
Have you ever made big plans? Plans for a vacation? a renovation? your career? your family? your life goals? This is what my kitchen looks like right now.
We've been planning our kitchen since before we even moved into our house. Two years and about four different plan ideas later, we have finally embarked on a crazy renovation of the entire center of our home involving raising the ceiling two feet, adding sky lights, and essentially moving our kitchen over to a new location. Oh yeah, we have two kids too-- a 6 month old and a 2 1/2 year old. I mentioned we were crazy, right? We thought with a good plan we could get it done easily enough. Being that this is our third remodel, my husband and I figured we had a good idea of what would need to happen. My husband made very detailed plans about what was to happen almost down to the day. Demolition for these two days. Framing everything the next week. You get the idea. We had big plans. Detailed plans. Seemingly perfect plans with even a little wiggle room for the things that inevitably come up whilst renovating.
The first week went really well. I had plans to stay at my parents while my husband and his dad tore apart our existing kitchen. There was excitement and energy in the air. We were smiling. Three weeks later, the smiles are starting to fade. Tension is mounting. There may or may not be a snarky comment under my breath to my husband while he frantically tries to get the floor placed while the babies are crying.
Things are not going according to the plans nearly as perfectly as we thought they would.
The drywall isn't going to be finished the week we planned for it. Okay, we will work around it. The drywall won't be finished the second week we planned for it. Okay, we'll work around it. The plumber has a vacation coming up. The floor took longer to place. The countertop took longer to order then we anticipated. I think you get the picture.
Isn't life like that sometimes (although usually much more serious than a kitchen renovation)? Don't we often think we have it all figured out? That we have the perfect plan. And then life becomes difficult... You don't get your dream job. Your husband loses his job. You lose a very dear loved one. You can't make ends meet. You want a family, but don't have one. Your health is deteriorating.
Sometimes we forget God in all of our haste to perfectly plan. We think we can do it all on our own, but we can't. However, God knows what is best for us, and it just so happens he is a fabulous planner. After all, he planned and executed creating the entirety of the universe in just 7 days, right? (Talk about a crazy remodel!)
Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God has it all figured out. He has plans perfect for our lives. While this doesn't necessarily guarantee happy trails ahead, it does give us the guarantee that if our lives take a little detour, or even go the complete opposite direction of what we had planned, that our Heavenly Father is by our side throughout our journey. He will lead us through life and to our eventual home in heaven.
I leave you with the lyrics to a well known hymn to hopefully provide comfort for those of you who are currently in need of a little hope and direction.
Christian Worship #422:
Jesus, lead us on Till our rest is won; And although the way be cheerless, We will follow, calm and fearless. Guide us by your hand To our fatherland.
If the way be drear, If the foe be near, Let not faithless fears o'er take us; Let not faith and hope forsake us, For through many a woe To our home we go.
When we seek relief From a long felt grief, When temptations come alluring, Make us patient and enduring; Show us that bright shore Where we weep no more.
Jesus, still lead on Till our rest is won. Heavenly Leader, still direct us; Still support, console, protect us Till we safely stand In our fatherland.
