What’s Your Plan?

September 18, 2022 . . .

Last Saturday, I went to a budget committee meeting for our church association, got our church bulletin printed, bought some groceries, and planned to sit down and watch the Tennessee Vols whoop up on the Pittsburgh Panthers and then, after the game, I planned to finish up Sunday’s sermon, go to bed and get a good night’s sleep prior to Sunday’s church activities. Turns out, Saturday evening, I ended up back in the hospital with chest pain. For me, a trip to the ER means a hospital admission and if it is a weekend, I get the privilege of staying there until Monday morning when I am finally able to see my cariologist. Have you ever noticed that quite often, our schedules don’t end up coinciding with our plans? Maybe that’s why James reminds us to preface our plans with the statement, “If the Lord wills” (James 4:13-15). I don’t know about you, but it seems as I get older, the more anxious I get when things don’t go as scheduled. Some of the things that stress me out in life, I can control. For example, I should have double checked to make sure I had my wallet BEFORE I got in the checkout line with a buggy full of groceries. I am learning that as I get older, I need to slow my roll a bit and double check things before I do them. I also need to put things back where they belong. If I did that, I might spend less time hunting my car keys and my cell phone. On the other hand, there are a lot of things that happen to me that I have no control over whatsoever, like chest pains and trips to the hospital. While I might not have control over these things, do you know who does? That’s right, God does and I need His help dealing with those things that are out of my control because I have absolute faith in the fact that not only does God know what’s going on, He is also working things out for my good and for His glory and when it is all said and done, that’s enough!

Be blessed and be a blessing! Bro. Andy