“For I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I have always been somewhat of an over achiever. When I was in first grade I told my mother that I was never going to have children and when I grew up I was going to be the first woman president of the United States. I then promptly started a petition and staged a coup demanding that we be permitted seconds in the lunch line. Talk about skeletons in your closet….glad THAT never came out as media fodder during my campaign!

But, as you can see…..plans change. Four kids and almost fifty years later and I am no closer to the White House than I was at age five. My “grown up” life plan involved liquidating all our assets, buying a motor home and traveling around the country while I home schooled the kids and wrote a novel. My husband – (being the practical one in the family) – wanted to see some kind of financial plan. I created spread sheets and maps and itineraries that looked great on paper. Funny thing the husband STILL wanted to have a profession look over those plans…..can’t imagine why – so we took them to a financial “planner”. To his credit – he didn’t laugh at me (out loud anyway) – and since he was paid on commission he said we could probably make it work.

And – once again – plans changed. Medical issues, doctor bills, family matters, and the fact that I probably couldn’t really handle teaching the boys advance math, kind of kept us in place.

More recently we have been taking a journey through the fascinating world of estate planning. That’s a fancy name for “what do you want done with all your junk when you die.” And as I am learning, those plans can and do change over the years as well.

One thing I know NEVER changes is God’s plan for our lives. Isaiah 14:24 tells us “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen’…” I love that big, bold statement from my big, bold God. There is nothing wishy-washy in that proclamation. God has a plan for me….and He doesn’t really need my input – or my spreadsheets – or my itinerary. He has a plan.

Life goes much smoother when our thinking and scheming starts to line up with what God has planned. It is a beautiful feeling to know that God knew me before I was even born. It’s revitalizing to realize that He has a purpose for my life that will glorify Him. And quite frankly it’s refreshing to have Him take the unwelcome burden of trying to anticipate life’s twists and turns off my shoulders. God says – I’ve got this! I have it all planned for you. Follow me.

Absolutely you should have dreams and goals! I encourage you to plan your estate for the generations to come. But what I really, really would embolden you to do is spend time talking with God and asking Him the direction and path that will be best for you.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding’; In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6