“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Sometimes when things in our life are going wrong and our plans are falling apart we are tempted to believe that God has left us high and dry. We may also think that God is not hearing our pleas for help and guidance, because everything is a mess. However, it is amazing what God can make out of a mess!
There was a point in my life when things looked like they were falling apart. My relationship ended and I was left heart broken. My Job, which I really liked, was being made a misery by a boss who was trying to off load their responsibilities onto my already overloaded plate. I nearly walked out and left the job.
It was then that a friend suggested we go away for a last minute holiday; I really needed the break before I broke! We went to the travel agent after work and asked them to find us a cheap holiday to somewhere warm, and we sat there until they did. We finally took a holiday in Corfu, one of the Greek islands, and had a glorious time, relaxed, enjoyed the sun, beach and countryside. I also took time to talk to God about the situation I was in and asked for help. By the end of our stay I felt at peace and a sense that God had a plan for my life, though I didn’t know what lay ahead. I made a decision to stay in the job that I had while I would be looking for further clarity on my next step.
Immediately on my return I met someone who had started work on a temporary contract at the company, they recommended that I contact their agency who would be able to find me work. Around the same time one of my best friends suggested that I attend a fostering information event, as I had been interested in becoming a foster carer for some time but not acted on it.
Within two years my life underwent a dramatic transformation. I changed jobs and worked for the agency and while doing that I was assessed, completed fostering training, became an approved foster carer and had my first child, a little six year old girl. Wow I could hardly believe it! God had a plan for me all along, even though I couldn’t see it at the time, but out of the mess of my life, He was able to create a wonderful opportunity for me to give love and support to others in need. God gave me hope and a future; He had heard and answered my prayer.
Even though I am still single, he hasn’t answered that prayer yet for some reason, this experience has helped to strengthen my faith in believing that If God can reshape my career he can find me a husband. Sometimes God has plans for us that are more of a priority for him than finding us a husband. Sometimes he has a mission and a purpose for us to accomplish for him which is essential for our character development. There are times that he wants us to concentrate our energies on reaching out to those around us with his love. He alone knows what plan he has for each of us, so we need to be open to his leading and willing to follow, even when it takes us away from the plans that we may have for our life. Ultimately He is our wiser Father and therefore his plans will always be better for us in the long run. Who can tell what adventures and new experiences await us. Have faith in God’s plan “to prosper you…to give you hope and a future.”
Be encouraged.