God's Plans or My Plans?

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." Even though these verses are directed to the exiles in Babylon, many have treasured these verses. Sometimes when life seems horrible, it's comforting to know that God has a plan even in this.

This week, I started a new job, in many ways, my dream job. I am a library para for our high school and middle school. I love books! (The two of the three Ted Dekker books were read this week.) And now I get to be surrounded by them and work with them and encourage others to discover them and get excited about them. And my hours are the same as my boys. When they are off, I'll be off. I go to work when they leave for school and I get to leave when the last bell rings! And it's way more hours than I have been working, which helps a lot.

Now, I don't know about you, but I have a habit of getting ahead of God. Waiting on the Lord is not my strong suit. I'm a person with control issues and letting go and letting God does not come easily to me. There have been times when I have gotten myself into impossible situations because I thought I knew what needed to be done and I went and did it. Only to find out that wasn't what God wanted at all and he had a better plan.

So when I was asked to come interview, I began to have doubts, "Was I really supposed to take this job? Was I running ahead of God again? Was this showing a lack of trust in Him, by thinking I had to have a job?" And on and on I went. By that night, I had a sick stomach ache and headache! But I talked it all out with my husband and was able to sleep that night. Only to be attacked by the doubts again that morning.

I was ready a little early and just sat down for a little while. About five minutes before I was to leave, I felt God's peace wash over me and was able to go the interview knowing I had to follow through. It wasn't until sometime after I was offered the job, and accepted, that I had true peace.

I was still doubting myself and my motives and I asked God if I wasn't relying on Him to provide, when I felt Him say, "This is my way of providing". And it hit me. This was his answer. What had I been praying for the last nine months? For God to provide. And when He did, I almost missed it just because His plan didn't fit what I thought He would do! What blessing are you missing today?

Isaiah 55:8-9-"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.