I like to plan. Sometimes I even plan to plan. But my plans have their limits especially when they bump up against the sovereign strategies of God.
Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:1, “The intentions of the heart belong to a man,
but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord” (NETBible®). What? Euguene Petersen’s paraphrase makes this easier to grasp. He wrote in The Message, “Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word.”
A case in point: I began planning 16 months in advance for a family gathering to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of my wife and I. Along the way I watched as God confirmed my plans at times and confounded them at others.
I decided to book 4 cabins at the extremely popular Mohican State Park in Ohio. But I had to wait until exactly one year prior to the date to book them. When the clock struck 8:00 am, I locked in the only 4 cabins available, better known as The Last of the Mohicans.
I also booked a trip to an Amish Farm that featured a horse-drawn wagon ride through an exotic animal park (Would the horses be dressed in black too?) Finally, I made a banquet reservation at an excellent Amish restaurant.
Our cabins were next to a tubing river, and our daughter was able to snag 21 tubes on clearance. All four of our families were excited about the trip and we found a date we could agree on, (And that’s a miracle). It truly felt like the Lord went before me and streamlined the process.
BUT, when the time finally came, the forecast could not have been worse. There was a high probability of storms – every single day. These storms would wash away most of my best laid plans and I was deeply concerned.
God took over the planning process, without asking me, and after some wrestling, I determined to trust Him with the outcome.
On Day 1 it was most definitely storming. We had our eyes on the weather radar the whole day, and what we saw was a ring of fierce storms very near to and all around us. Hourly my wife would check her weather app, and hourly that ring surrounded us but the weather at the park stayed peaceful and dry. I thanked God for the miracle!
Day 2 it was overcast but no storm – perfect for a 4-hour float on the river.
While on the river, Sharie, my wife, injured her knee. Definitely not a part of my plan.
On Day 3 she was really hurting so we decided that the Amish Farm would just be too much for her. (You know how crazy those Amish can be) so we all opted to stay near the cabins for the day, but I worried that the kids would be disappointed.
Our cabin was situated right next to the shallow river. There was easy access and a good view. So, all 11 kids, from ages 2 to 17, were in the river playing, fishing, swimming, and floating all day long, while their parents happily rested and watched. God provided just the perfect plan for us.
Then I discovered that I had booked the dinner reservation at the wrong restaurant. It was an hour-long drive from the campground. We grudgingly loaded up but ended up being surprised by a beautiful and interesting ride through Holmes County Ohio, where we dodged many an Amish buggy.
This was topped off with a fabulous banquet, where laughter abounded, tributes were given, vows were renewed and dinner was served family style. Tina, our full-service waitress even snapped some great family photos.
It is good to make plans. Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead only to plenty”- NETBible®. And yet my Mohican memories remind me that we need to loosely hold onto the plans that we make.
If God is to work all things in our lives together for good, then He should be free to redirect us when needed. I am so glad that He did!
A PRAYER: Lord, when my plans are shattered, remind me that your plans for me are not.
Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson 