Finding Purpose in Unpredictability: Surrendering to God’s Plan

A bad day, week, month or year is not indicative of a bad life. Our lives are not defined by temporary setbacks or moments of despair. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of our circumstances, allowing the weight of one difficult period to overshadow the broader narrative of our lives. Yet, this perspective encourages us to step back and see the bigger picture—our lives are a tapestry woven with challenges and triumphs, each thread contributing to the unique beauty of our story.

Focusing on the Wrong Things

It is so easy for us to focus on everything that is going wrong in our lives, so much so that it sucks the joy out of everything and everyone around us. However, like I said in prior posts, if our plans do not align with the ones God has for us, they will never come to life.

Faith and Comfort in Uncertainty

Last night, I had a dream, and in that dream, I kept repeating 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.” I woke up feeling comforted, knowing things would work out as they should. Faith provides comfort in times of uncertainty. This realization invites us to shift our focus from rigidly adhering to our plans to being open to the unfolding of God’s will in our lives. It’s a call to surrender—not in defeat but trust. Trust that the detours and delays we encounter are not obstacles but part of a more extraordinary design that we may not yet fully understand.

The Unpredictability of Life

In our journey through life, it’s natural to plan and set goals. We map out milestones, creating timelines that we hope will guide us toward the life we envision. However, life often unravels those plans, leading us down paths we never anticipated. This unpredictability can be unsettling, particularly for those comfortable with structure and control. Life is something we can’t plan for. It’s too unpredictable.

The Problem with Overplanning

It’s essential to recognise that while planning is not inherently wrong, it becomes problematic when we place our sense of worth and identity in achieving those plans. When we tie our happiness and self-worth to a specific timeline, we set ourselves up for disappointment and frustration when things don’t go as expected. This often leads to a cycle of comparison, where we measure our progress against that of others, forgetting that each of us is on a unique journey with its challenges and blessings.

Comparison Is the Thief of Joy

Comparison is a thief of joy. It blinds us to the blessings in our own lives and breeds discontentment. When we compare ourselves to others, we’re unfair to ourselves and the unique path that God has laid out for us. Our journeys are meant to be distinct, and the diversity of our experiences enriches the world around us. Imagine a world where everyone’s story was the same—how dull and unoriginal it would be! Our individual struggles, victories, and lessons we learn along the way make our stories worth telling.

My Own Experience with Setbacks

The realization that I would be losing my military career and battling depression and chronic pain was a time when everything seemed to be falling apart. I had planned my career meticulously. I worked tirelessly, sacrificing personal time and energy to achieve this goal, and lost it all within the blink of an eye. It felt like a massive failure. For weeks, I questioned my worth and the direction of my life.

Embracing God’s Plan

Letting go of our plans and embracing God’s plan for our lives is not easy. It requires humility, patience, and trust in God’s timing. But how do we know when to let go? The answer lies in our relationship with God. When we take our plans to Him in prayer, seeking His guidance and aligning our desires with His will, He provides the clarity and peace we need to move forward. God’s plans are rooted in love and designed to prosper us, not harm us. When we consult Him and remain open to His direction, we can rest assured that we are on the right path, even when it doesn’t look like what we initially envisioned.

Trusting God’s Timing

It’s important to remember that God’s timing is perfect, even when it doesn’t align with our own. What we perceive as delays or setbacks may be God’s way of preparing us for something greater. He may use these moments to teach us patience, strengthen our character, or redirect us towards a path leading to greater fulfilment and purpose. Therefore, we must learn to trust in the process, knowing that every step, even the difficult ones, is part of a divine plan for our good.

The Journey of Life

Life’s journey is filled with unexpected twists and turns, but this unpredictability is not something to fear. Instead, it’s an opportunity to deepen our trust in God and embrace the unique path He has laid for us. While making plans is natural, we must hold them loosely, always willing to submit them to God’s will. By doing so, we free ourselves from trying to control every aspect of our lives and open ourselves up to the possibility of something far greater than we could ever imagine.

Conclusion: Fret Not

So, fret not when things don’t go as planned. Remember that a bad day, week, month, or year is not indicative of a bad life. It’s merely a chapter in a much larger story that is still written by a loving God who has good plans for you. Trust in Him, and know that everything will work out as it should, in His perfect timing.

Until next time,
Abby