My Plans? Not Anymore...

A friend of mine on Facebook just posted this quote as her update: "Some people are reluctant to trust God completely with their lives, fearing that He may want to make a change in their plans. Yes, He will change our plans. His plans are infinitely better than the very best we could ever conceive."

I thought that was so awesome. And so timely for me. Tonight I got to chat on FB with my ex brother-in-law and then a little later with my current sister-in-law, too. My bro-in-law had sent me the sweetest message - it totally made me cry! I haven't had the chance to catch up with him in forever, so it was great to hear how things were going with him and his family. And I don't get to see my sis-in-law very often at all (since she lives in Mississippi) and don't get to talk to her much either, so that was way way cool, too, to be able to chat with her for a bit. She's got a gift of encouragment and always says things that totally bless me, even when she herself needs encouraging.

But what really struck me tonight when I was about to sign off facebook and happened to see that quote was that God took my plans from the past and totally screwed them up!  Back then, I had goals and plans and visions of where I wanted to be in 5 or 10 years.  Maybe nothing concrete, but at least a general picture in my head of how my life would look and who I'd be with for the rest of my life and all that.  But all that changed in an instant (well, not really - divorces take longer than that!).  But everything did change with one phrase - when I asked my then-husband where he'd been and he replied, "On a date".  It was definitely an ephiphany moment.  I felt a knot in my chest and yet like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, all at the same time.  It was like God stuck His finger in the quiet little pond that was my life and stirred up a maelstrom. 

And now?  Wow - I never knew I could be so happy. The plans He had for me were truly better than the very best I could have come up with. I'm almost speechless thinking about that!  All the time, He had this amazing life for me, just waiting for His timing and His moments to initiate it.  Do I regret my first marriage and all the years I devoted to it?  Nope - they helped make me the person I am today.  Do I wish God had started my new life a little sooner?  Definitely - being a mom of toddlers at 39 can be VERY tiring!  :)

So here I am, headed who knows where, with a new (well, four years new!) marriage to a wonderful man and two amazingly wonderful kids.  Do I have any idea where we'll be in five years?  Or ten?  No clue whatsoever.  And that's OK.  Because now I know firsthand that my life is in far more capable hands than mine.  And that His plans - and His timing - is immeasurably more than I can imagine.  I plan to just hang on for the ride.