One of the books I'm reading right now is called, "Plan B" with the question on the front: "What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought he would?" by Pete Wilson. I'm not that far into it yet, but there are some good things that he's written so far......
There's a chapter called, "Don't Run" and it talks about how sometimes when things aren't going the way we thought it would, we run the other way. Either physically moving or trying to remove yourself from the situation, or emotionally / mentally. Jobs, relationships/friendships, location, schools, churches....or the lack of those, or not what you wanted it to be right now. As I read on, I realized that is so me. And, dealing with some of my own "Plan B's" right now (some happening right now, some coming up....), I am in the place where I want to run the other way.
"When it becomes apparent your dreams are not coming true and you feel you've been stripped of everything, this is no time to run. It's no time to take things back into your own hands. It's definitely not the time to turn your back on God. This is when you need God more than ever before. You need to lean on him instead of run away. Your dreams may not be happening, and things aren't turning out the way you expected, but that doesn't mean your life is spinning out of control. It just means you're not in control. It's in those moments you can learn to trust the only one who has ever had control in the first place."
"I know that perservering isn't easy. I know you want to run. I know you want to give up. I know you want to try to control and maintain what you cannot control or maintain. Resist the urge. Try to lean toward God instead of panicking. Try to trust him instead of running away. Let it be. And just see what God can do when you give him room to work."
Sometimes the situations I try to run from could be just the place God wants me. It could be that it looks bad at first, but ends up being way better. Or that He has something to teach me through it. But it is so hard to stay put, in a place you don't really want to be. My second reaction, if I don't "run" or I'm unable to, is to think, "Ok, what can I DO? What can I do to make this situation better, to veer it towards plan A, or to make this less frustrating?" I sometimes jump too quickly to act. Maybe sometimes my DOING something gets in the way of GOD doing something! Being "still" could be the best choice. Obviously there are situations where you have to act, but not always.
Even when I feel like the time frame is all wrong, or worry about what could be an upcoming plan B, the best thing to do is seek God. "But seek first him kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33. That means seeking him before what I think is the best plan. And oh, just when I think I'm trying to do that, Satan steps in and throws in a wrench. Sometimes even in the areas I think, "Ok, this has to be right. This is serving / loving / giving, this is what God wants me to do," I start and there are all these obstacles or distractions. Again, it makes me want to run the other way. But sometimes I've just got to stick with it.
Everybody has or will have lots of plan B's.....all the way to "Z" I'm sure.... but I hope that we can remember that doesn't mean God's out to mess up your life or doesn't listen. We may be asking for what we think is good, but God has something way better for us. Easy to say / know, but hard to feel.
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