Plans

There is just something about it that speaks to my heart, changes my perspective and allows me to keep believing in the impossible.

I love the word plans; not in the sense that I always want to be scheduling things, but I love hopeful thoughts of anticipation about what the future may bring. I am constantly daydreaming and wondering where God will lead me. Most days I imagine God doing things in my life that only He could do. I don’t know if you would call it delusional or of great faith but whatever it is, I’ve got it tenfold. I know a lot of people claim the verse Jeremiah 29:11 as one of their favorites but for me it’s more of a way of life. My mom has quoted it over me my whole life especially when, well, things are not turning out as I planned. There is just something about it that speaks to my heart, changes my perspective and allows me to keep believing in the impossible.

It says: I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for good and not disaster. Plans to give you HOPE and a future.

The Message says it like this: I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Isn’t that laced with encouragement? Just writing it makes me feel overcome with joy. But the problem is, sometimes like Peter, I take my eyes off Jesus and that joy turns into fear and worry and doubt. I start wondering how God could possibly have a plan in this. In fact, I start to think maybe He forgot to deliver His agenda in the first place.

This week in our Bible study discussion we talked about being honorable vessels. I brought up that in this world it often seems there is no reward for doing the right thing, but I have to remind myself our reward isn’t always on Earth. However, I think we are rewarded in ways we can’t even see. I believe if we could see the big picture then we would know all the things God spared us from by following His ways. I think that we would start to see reputation, legacy, freedom, peace, joy, blessing, honor, dreams, hopes, family and love as earthly benefits. Sometimes though, you can’t see the rewards of your actions until years later. Maybe not even on this side of Heaven.

It’s no secret that one of my favorite authors is Karen Kingsbury. Ever since I was a media center aide in high school and stumbled across one of her books, I have been hooked. I recently found an article she wrote for CCM Magazine called, “Introducing Kyle Kupecky… and a Look at God’s “Plans.”’ In this article Karen writes about a prayer she and her husband said on the last day of their honeymoon on a beach in Mexico. It was a prayer about their future, more specifically about the kids they would have and their spouses. The date was August 1, 1988.

Karen goes on to talk about the birth of their daughter 15 months later and all the many times they continued to pray over her life and for God’s plans. She talks about the many parts of her daughter’s life that led to her meeting her husband and how they were all divinely orchestrated by God. And the most humbling part of the story is that while she was praying on that Mexican beach in 1988, her daughter’s husband was being born that exact moment. That baby turned out to be singer and songwriter Kyle Kupecky and he has his very own song called, you guessed it…Plans.

The article touches me deeply every time I read it. It is beautiful and it is hopeful. It has the fingerprints of God all over it and it makes me think about all the possibilities of how my future could unfold. But it also reminds me that it does not happen overnight. Karen and her husband had to wait nearly 24 years to see the rewards of that prayer they prayed on the beach. It was answered though and it was better than they could have ever imagined. It is absolute proof that we serve a God who is faithful and pours out His love on all generations.

My prayer over my life lately has been God’s way; God’s timing, but it has also been “Do not delay, O my God” (Psalm 40:17). How beautiful it is when we surrender our own will and let God display His wonderful works.

Yes I believe in plans. Delightful, God orchestrated, Jeremiah 29:11 kind of plans!

-Only Hope

If you would like to read Karen Kingsbury’s article it can be found at: http://www.ccmmagazine.com/article/introducing-kyle-kupecky-and-a-look-at-god-s-plans/