"Unplanned"

"A new planner? Great!" I smiled, carefully unwrapping the shiny Christmas paper. "Thank you, 'Santa,'" I beamed, as I gave my husband a hug.  "You knew just what I needed!" 
 
     I love getting a new planner each year, and couldn't wait to fill it in with all the plans I wanted to make.  

      After writing, I checked the entries. Birthdays and appointments? Affirmative. Goals for the new year? Um hm. Hope and dreams? Yes, on the "Notes" page at the back of my planner. I felt excited. Renewed. Hopeful.  

     Had others planned their new year? I asked family and friends. Some enthusiastically replied, "Yes," and were eager to use their new planners. Others said they preferred making use of a calendar on their phone. Some made resolutions; some didn't. Same with goals. It made me wonder if it was easier to just "wing it" by not being dependent on a written planner. 
   
     But "set" plans? I used to think they existed. As I later realized, the dreaded six-letter word, C-H-A-N-G-E, often can interfere with "set" plans and turns them into "unplanned" occurrences.

       The Bible addresses the subject of plans, too. Proverbs 16:9 says, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."  We can make all the plans we want, but there is no guarantee they will be realized. Proverbs indicates it is the Lord (also referred to as the "Good Shepherd" in the Bible), who guides His "sheep" in the way they should go. 

       Bible verses from John 10:27-30 tell us more about the Lord's "sheep":
      "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."     

      Because we know that C-H-A-N-G-E (or unplanned occurrences) take place in our lives, should that affect our efforts in making plans? No. It doesn't have to. We can still make plans and goals and think about our hopes and dreams. But, employing wisdom, may we be reminded that we are not ultimately in control of our destiny. May God be the One to whom we turn for direction in our lives, and may we listen to His voice.

     God loves you—and He knows just what you need!      
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Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com 

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