This was not the plan!

I don't usually stay up late on a school night to watch a college football game, but I did last night. Long after The Rose Bowl was over and we turned off the television, I took turns staring at the ceiling or closing my eyes trying to fall asleep. I was sick about what happened to Colt McCoy. I just could not believe the kid got hurt! He has chosen to be very open in public about his faith in Jesus and gave God the glory again last night at the end of the game in an interview. I trust one day this young athlete and his team will see the whole picture of why an injury kept him out of his last game as a Texas Longhorn, but I wonder right now if the picture may not be that clear for him and the others involved. How many times have we all had our game plan ready to go, but the time the final play was over... it all ended up being really, really different than we had ever expected?

Last night I was already feeling a bit sensitive when I began watching the game. I also visited with a friend recently diagnosed with cancer. She thought she had her plan all set up and would being treatment next week. Suddenly yesterday though, the medical plan changed. She is going to visit another doctor and look at what other options she has; however, no treatment yet. In the early morning hours today, my heart drew a line between her situation and the one of the young Texas quarterback last night on t.v. One I know so well. One I will never meet, but a obvious connection was flashing through my mind like a slide show that read "This was not the plan."

The lesson here for me in the last 24 hours has been that we can make plans, but so often we will have to accept that the Lord has another plan! Our plans really need to be written or thought of more in rough draft form than ever as a final copy. Our Father reserves the right to add onto our lists blessings that we would never dream of on our own, send us across town to a different hospital, and even take us out of the game. We better leave open lines at the bottom of our to-do list, as well as open days, months, and even years on our calendars because we honestly do not know what the future holds. We can only pray to know more the one who holds the future! There are things in life that unfold and are just not what we expected. Some are better and make life easier, but some really test our strength because they make life tough. There are also situations that here on earth we will never understand!



Two verses come to mind! "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." from Isaiah 55: 8-9 It is such a comfort to know the the Lord has a better view than us! He can see it all and we can rest in that.

Jeremiah 29:11 also offers a truth that we must learn to trust in, it says "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." I have to admit that for years I wanted to trust in that verse 11, but failed to read on and discover that the Word gave me a role to play in verses 12 and 13. They are huge! If you read past the glory of verse 11, you read "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart." We do have an active role in our relationship with the Lord. Salvation is free, but knowing Him more each and every day does require our involvement. Our relationship with God honestly requires our time and our focus.
When we call, come, pray, and seek Him with all of our heart we are much more ready for the times in life when our plans seem to fall short of what we had hoped for OR even take a unknown turn that causes us to WAIT longer!!!

Oh, back to the line I drew between my friend with cancer and Colt McCoy. She is fine with her change in plans and trusts God to take her where she needs to be! Colt McCoy said in the interview after the game "I am standing on the Rock." I can not speak for them, but I suspect they have both been calling, coming, praying, and seeking the Lord with all of their heart like is mentioned in Jeremiah 29! When plans change, He gives us the grace and we give Him the glory!