Whose Plan are you on?

We went on a vacation recently and I am the navigator, you know the person that tells you to turn here or make a right at the stop sign. I need to stop a moment and tell you I have developed cataracts that need to be removed. [Now for those of you that don't know what this means let me tell you. I can't see very well and what I do see is not what is. Example: I tell my husband look at the elk! Come to find out it is a big rock.] Life is so exciting when things aren't as they seem.

Back to my story. I was so worried that I couldn't see the map to give correct directions that I got on my trusty computer and went to Google Maps and had them plot the course then I made the print GIANT size, so no mistakes or wrong turns.

The only problem was I had printed round trip which had a few extra pages, and without my seeing eye dog I got them a little mixed up. So I told my husband, as we were leaving it would take us about 5 hours to go in the direction we had chosen. Wow, he said that sure seems like a long way, something doesn't seem quite right. I was sure, as I had made the computer follow the plan I had laid our for it. But just let me double check, [I have been known to make a mistake now and again, more again than now]

As we are traveling toward out destination I realize that I had been looking at the round trip with the pages a little askew. I made the adjustments and realized it would take us about 2 hours to get where we wanted to go. Disaster avoided and vacation was a blast.

I seem to have the same direction challenge in life as I do on the road. I have been following some one else's path. Thinking my friends have wonderful grown adult children, their life seems to be in total control and running along so smoothly, so mine should follow theirs.Except mine has been turbulent, ups and downs that would challenge any roller coaster for supremacy. So I  must ramp it up and work harder or something.

As I was moaning my whoa's to God I got very quite and you know what? God didn't tell me I needed to work harder. He didn't tell me to get my act together. He didn't tell me everything would be rosy.

No, as I was quietly listening for that still small voice, This is what God spoke to my heart, "That's not the plan I have for you!"

As I replayed those words over and over in my head such freedom and peace enveloped me. I didn't have to strive to MAKE my adult children anything. I didn't have to be the perfect person that see,s to have it all together. {one look and that little secret is out.} No, I was the navigator of my life  and I had the plan but you see I was looking at the wrong plan and with cataracts. No, the author of my life had the plan. He knows the way. I had gone on my own seeing things not as they were but what I thought they should be.

My friends may have perfect children, but their testimony  is different than mine. There are some people out there that need the words of instruction my friends have and need to share.
There are also people out there that need to hear how to continue loving and praising God through the mistakes, wrong turns, and traveling with the wrong direction.

God has a plan for each of us, our very own plan. Don't look at your friends and neighbors and want the plan or route they are on. God says in 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." [Caps. mine]

WOW just think about that for a bit, God has a special plan he has drawn up just for YOU! Let that free you.Happy traveling.