It’s like this. We have our own plans for our lives and for some of us, things seem to go according to plan. For others, it seems like God not only has other plans, but is happy to interfere and shift things around to reflect His. Up for discussion today are the life and times of the latter set of folks.

We often pray a simple prayer, one that is even found in the generic “The Lord’s Prayer”; it is: “Your will be done.” Jesus Himself prayed it to His Father when He was contemplating going down the most painful path that would end in His death. Because of our love for the Father, and our love for Jesus our example, we often pray this same prayer. We may sincerely want the Lord’s will to be done, but we just don’t always understand the “consequences and repercussions”. 🙂

When the Lord gets really involved in one’s life, it often means that what the person had planned for her life isn’t what will occur. On the other hand, it will mean that the way her life turns out is waaaaay better than whatever she could’ve come up with for herself. Indeed, God is an expert at going far beyond our wildest imaginations and accomplishing them. That said, the in-between is the tough part: those times when our lives don’t seem to be going on as we’d planned. Yea, those are difficult times. The times of questioning, of striving to make it work, of frustration at “it” not working…the moments that come before the times of patience, trust, and rest. But, what do we do in that in-between land?

The lifestyle I’ve just described is one I know all too well, friends. I had a clear idea of what I wanted for EVERYTHING – my schooling, my career, my husband, my kids, EVERYTHING. Did I mention that I am a planner, born and…born? It’s in me to plan. And plan I do – to every minute detail. And God knew this about me, loved it about me, and still, has decided that He has the best idea for how my life should go. Mind you, God is the perfect (and I mean, perfect!) gentleman. I’ve found out, over and over again, that He NEVER imposes His dreams or ideas on us. The truth is, we (I definitely did) usually arrive at a place in our relationship with Him when we want His way or nothing. And we tell Him that. Sound familiar? This is the “Your will be done” bit I spoke about earlier. So, I know that at different points in my young life, I’ve sincerely prayed this to Father, asking that I bring Him glory with how my life is lived, and asking that He accomplishes His will through my lil ole life. And, true to His nature, He answers prayers. It doesn’t matter how long it takes (time doesn’t mean the same thing to Him as it does to us), He answers them.

Years later, when we feel frustration at life not seeming to turn out as we wanted or planned, He’ll give that gentle nudge on the inside: “you asked Me to help you. That’s what I’m doing…” Hmm. In those moments, we sometimes kick at the idea, feeling like: “yeeaah, but not like this!!” See, it turns out that when we prayed the initially prayer, we had also internally decided how God should answer it. Aren’t we humans fascinating creatures? Lol. In case this is nobody’s story, I’ll be clear. This is my story for sure. This is my life through and through. And guess what? I actually love it because…despite things not going my way, I realize a number of things that are based on His very nature. He is love, He is good, His thoughts toward me are always good, He can accomplish for me wayyy beyond my wildest imaginations, and so on. These are just a few things. So, when I re-realize that this is the heart of the Father, I quit wrestling. I go into flow-mode. That’s basically the point/season when you, like an eagle, just let yourself be carried by His wind. You’ll be amazed at where you go to. People look at you and think of how expert you are at soaring. You tell them: “nah, it’s not me. Underneath me are His everlasting arms.”

That there is the secret. I’m still learning and re-learning it. Look to His nature in times of uncertainty. Know that He can answer prayers way better than Santa can address a wish.

No offense, North pole supporters.

Anyway, I’m enjoying the ride and I invite you to the adventure. It starts with a simple prayer: “Lord, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

©2016, WriTEswAY