NOT MY PLAN, BUT GOD'S PLAN

The unseen is the unknown and the unknown creates curiosity to search further and deeper. The world is consumed with confusion, anger, mourning, and many emotions driven in this weird season.

This spring break I had planned to spend a week serving in the Dominican Republic with MOH, come home Saturday to celebrate my dad’s birthday, then to drive back up to Tallahassee for school to start up again. Like most students and adults, we had a plan. I’m not much of a planner myself (plans kind of scare me in all honesty) but we all had a tentative plan of some sort. Plans can be good and plans can keep you organized, but sometimes when plans are too good and too organized, it can take away God’s plans.

I would consider myself more of positive and optimistic person that likes to see the good in every situation. I love to encourage others and to be encouraged myself and not let the craziness of life get to me, but rather to (as my parents have always said) “just dance with it”. I am always on the go and ready for the next adventure to keep me busy. So, this sudden halt in life due to the world-wide corona virus has thrown me for a loop.

I deeply wanted to go back to the DR and see my friends again, but that was my plan. I longed to see the sunset over Mt. Isabella and smell the streets of Santiago again, but that was my plan. I wanted to escape the college world into “my happy place” in the DR, but that was my plan. I was excited to go back up to Tallahassee and spend this last semester with my senior best friends to take in every last moment with them, but that was my plan. I wanted to take in all the fun memories made in Bradford Oaks apartment complex before moving out, but that was my plan. I was ready to hop into bible study, sorority, discipleship, church, adventure, but that was my plan.

In my tentative yet selfish plans, where was room for God’s plan?

The world is telling us to stay home, to stay inside, to not go into work or school and I believe this is God telling us to REST. We don’t know God’s plan word for word, but we know its perfect. He presents things in the world that cause us to look to Him. He wants us find our hope and peace in Him.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s a verse I hold close to my heart and I imagine God looking down on me saying, “Dawg, I got you. Just chill out, I’m God remember? I’ve got the greatest plan for you, don’t you realize that?” As silly as it sounds, it’s so true! He made the heavens and the earth. He knit me in my mother’s womb. He made the stars and birds in the air around me. He has created so much beauty around me, so I can trust that He will create beauty within my life. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” We can’t comprehend the work of the Lord or see the end because we are not Him, but we can trust that He will make something beautiful out of it.

In the song “Nothing I Hold Onto” by Will Reagan and United Pursuit, the lyrics say, “I lean not on my own understanding, my life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven, I give it all to You, God, trusting that You’ll make something beautiful.” Phil Wickham wrote “You’re Beautiful” and lyrics share: "I see Your power in the moonlit night, where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright, we are amazed in the light of the stars it’s all proclaiming who You are, you’re beautiful, I see You there hanging on a tree, You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me, now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne soon we will be coming home, you’re beautiful”

In this season of unknown, He is calling out to us to find rest in Him. It is easy to get wrapped up in the unseen and unknown, but He calls out to us to seek Him further, to rest our curious hearts and to rest in Him. He's already making something beautiful out of it.

Stay rad y'all,

Cay

:)