I thought I had some pretty great plans for this year. Some of them were:
1) To be completely healed of Graves' disease and never experience any thyroid issues again
2) To adopt 2 little ones from Africa
3) To keep encouraging my husband in his role as one of the associate pastors of our church
4) To have a tidier house
But my plans aren't actually what stands in the sovereignty of God's perfect plans. His plan involves:
1) Still struggling with ups and downs of hyperthyroidism and possibly doing so for the rest of my life
2) Adopting from the U.S.
3) Encouraging my husband as he transitions into the lead pastor role in our church
4) Having a house that often looks like a tornado ran through it
It can be bewildering, scary, unnerving, and just plain hard to wrap my mind around it all as I see His plans standing instead of mine. What's happening certainly isn't all bad, but it is very different than what I had planned. I know that other people might be confused as well by what is actually happening vs. what I've thought and said would happen. But really, that's how life always works. How often do I actually get exactly what I think I need? Far more often, God surprises me with a greater and better plan than I ever would have imagined on my own. His plans are way more informed and wiser than mine ever could be. If He would have let me persist in my own plans all my life, I'm sure I would never have known that I need a Savior. So most of the time, I'm glad that it's His purposes that stand instead of mine. And for the times I'm fighting to believe that, these verses bring me comfort:
"All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies." Ps. 25:10
"You are good and do good; teach me your statutes." Ps. 119:68
