Plans

We make our plans but it is God who had the final say.  Mel and I had made plans to go to Canada and see Niagra Falls, then hop on a plane from Buffalo the next day to go to New York, meet up with Molly and Jamie and little Blake to be at Emma, our grandaughter's first birthday. We had been scheduled for weeks and on the way to the Buffalo airport we received a phone message that said that our 5:00 pm flight had been cancelled due to weather.  We called and were put on a standby for a full flight, that left 3 hours later, but could only be confirmed by an in person arrival, so we went to the airport anyway.  

We, of course were the next two people in line to be called but the flight did fill up the very last minute with late confirmed arrivers, and doors closed. The problem is that if you are checking bags and are on a standby status, the bags have to go through security and remain in the holding area of luggage bins on the tarmac, so we were stuck with our decision until the standby position had played out.  No more Delta flights out and the only possible flight left to NY was a 9:45 p.m. on Jet Blue.  But to go forward on any other flight, we first we had to retrieve our bags; a pain in the neck. Jet Blue had only one ticket available to purchase, for they do not oversell.  A person has to have called and cancelled for a seat to be released.  So we waited in hopes.  It got down to two people who had not yet checked in, and sure enough they were no shows and never cancelled so the plane left with three empty seats. Darn.  We were confirmed on a 7:15 a.m. flight leaving the next morning so our choice was to sleep in the airport or grab a hotel room for a nap. We choose the nap. 

Al this to say, that we can make our plans, and we do make them, and we pray that all goes well and as scheduled, but many times they do not, and when they don't we scamper about to come up with a plan "B' if we do not already have one in place. And though that plan "B' is not always a desired one, it all becomes a matter of attitude and release. There are just some things that we have no control over. We can try to force an issue but when God firmly positions the seat of opportunity to another venue, there is no undoing His will. We have all been there at one time or another when things just haven't gone as planned, and someone or something has thrown a monkey wrench into the wheels of our well designed and orchestrated plans. 

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. 

So often, when our plans are halted, our energies get tangled up in emotions of disappointment, frustration, and restless mind games of how to proceed forward. We hold so tightly to our own agenda that we sometimes forget that God is running this show, and everything moves according to His calls.  We pray for one thing to happen and when God says, "no" we buckle up in an exasperated sense of entitlement, when in reality we are entitled to nothing, and should be appreciative for everything. For, in spite of unraveled plans, we are to faithfully trust that God, too, will carefully detour whatever plans he has allowed to be cancelled, for His glory.      

God has the whole world in his hands and all the workings that go with it.  That includes our meager plans. So it would seem plausible that if our plans were to go awry, then He certainly will have something in place for us to carry on. But too often we forget to stand on that truth and instead of making the most out of a jumbled itinerary, and roll with a new set of plans, we allow our attitudes of  a disgruntled mindset to set our stage for our next act. I have done it for sure and suspect that many of you too can relate.  

Life will always be in change mode, for nothing ever stays the same. The plans that we make and the dreams that we dream are never set in stone.  For when we plan, we cannot see the future and do not know the obstacles that preclude our journey.  We only work from the best given information that we have been given or researched, and then we have to faithfully walk towards that goal. We are not at liberty to access the master control board of our life, nor are we able to see a picture greater of the future, oh, but what we are able to do is trust God, in all his sovereignty, to lead us to the plan "B"'s that He has orchestrated.  We may never know the reasons for our altered plans, but we do know that he will use whatever comes our way to build our character, strengthen our faith, teach us patience, rethink a situation and ultimately be grateful for his overseeing commitment to working things out His way.  

Our main reason for this trip was to celebrate a first birthday of our youngest granddaughter.  The rest was just gravy. The party was planned was an outdoor celebration in Central Park.  Again the weather interfered and the party was moved to their apartment.  We all were on board for Plan "B'; we  rolled up the rugs, moved the furniture, blew up the plastic pool, filled it with plastic balls, blew up balloons, hung the banner, set out the snacks and it couldn't have been more adorable and fun, in spite of the rains. Rebecka and Tom had done what they could do, the rest was in God's hands. We can only do what we can do, and the rest is up to God.  So many times, it is all about our attitude when things go haywire with schedules, relationships, tragedies, health, natural occurrences etc. that we have no control over, take place. Are we trying to hold tight to the reigns of our own scheduling or are we willing to roll faithfully with God's scheduling and trust that he will get us where he wants us to be, when he wants us to get there? His ways do ultimately work out, His way.  

Dear Lord, Thank you for always being in control.  Help me, to override my emotions when things don't turn our according to my plans, and trust that your will is always for your glory and in my best interest. Amen

       

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!