God has a Plan

God always has a plan . . . always. I have moments when I wish that He would send me the plan typed out via the U.S. Postal Service, but as of yet that has not happened. I know that He always has a plan. At times, it takes me looking back to get the “big picture,” to see all the little steps along the path behind me to understand the journey I took.  I think life is that way a lot. If God laid it all out in front of me, I would probably run the other way. But by taking it small steps at a time, I get where He wants me to go.

It does make me chuckle sometimes, though, at the places He takes me. Many of them completely unexpected – you know, places I would have never thought to go on my own whether because it did not cross my mind or because I thought it was impossible.

Our current orders are exactly that – a step in the journey I would have never imagined. Below is a picture of a map drawn by my husband on our refrigerator. It has hung there since last spring in anticipation of our upcoming move. If you look closely, you will see a rough outline of the U.S. plus Alaska and Hawaii, plus Army installations. Everyone has their way of narrowing down their preferences for duty stations and this is ours.

Kyle drew the map and listed all of the posts so we could pray and talk about the duty stations we would like to go and put that together with the duty stations that we considered actual possibilities. You can see on the map the ones crossed out that we knocked off the list for whatever reason and in the upper left corner just out of sight is our preferences with alternates, of course.

I know you were all curious as to how our family worked and this planning process is a great picture. Having a visual aide has worked well for us to be able to talk to God about it as well as better communicate with each other. We love to plan. But looking at the map the other day now that we actually have orders for our next move – well, I just had to laugh.

Why? Because we are headed to Fort Meade, Maryland. I know, you are wondering why that is funny. Just take a look at the map again. Nothing, I repeat, nothing in the Maryland/Virginia area is listed at all because we did not even consider it enough of a possibility to put it on the map.  Apparently, God had a different plan.

This is not the first time that God took me somewhere I did not expect, but every time He has done so has been a wonderful adventure. This one will be no different. Cool thing is He is already there preparing a church, a house, neighbors, and people with which both my husband and I will cross paths with while we are there. God truly amazes me often these days with His attention to detail.

The path we are taking is an unexpected one, just like many other paths have been along the journey, but I would not have it any other way. His plan is always better – usually something I had never thought of or did not even have the ability to imagine. I am so thankful His imagination is better than mine – as is His planning process. God has a plan . . . always.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.”  (Ephesians 3:20-21)