Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Check Plans With God

Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog -- it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

-- James 4:13-15

Are you one of those people who like to have a plan? Do you organize your day, check off your to do list, schedule appointments with precision? How does that work for you? Because it really doesn’t work well for me. At least not any more.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I used to be that time-crunched executive with too much to do even with hose 80-hour work weeks. Factor in a life, and it’s a wonder I ever got any sleep. I know some people just like that today. Some work way too many hours. Some juggle jobs, kids, home and life. It’s like a roller coaster going at full speed and you just never know if you’ll ever get off.

Then something happens. A crisis usually. Perspectives change. Priorities shift. As a nation, we experienced that on 9/11. As individuals, it’s a lot more personal. It could be a child getting sick. It could be a job loss. Or losing a parent. Or a spouse. Maybe a close friend dies unexpectedly. Something changes and suddenly that to do list just doesn’t seem so important anymore.

Of course, some changes are just about the people in your life. I have “more time” now so that my life can revolve around elderly parents. My life has ceased to become my own. There’s a country music song with a line that I truly love: “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” That suits me most days.

I know. I know. I’m lucky to have them. I know that most days. Other days I just know I’ll soon be bald because I’ve pulled all my hair out in frustration. You probably know what I mean. Most people have times like those. Just ask a mother with a baby who is teething. Or a single parent with three young children.

The truth is none of know what the day will bring -- or even if we’ll be around at the end of it. I’m not trying to sound morbid or freak you out. It’s simply the truth. None of us can predict the future. We can plan and organize all we want. But we really can’t control the world around us.

James was right. God is in control. So go ahead and plan -- just remember to ask God if it’s okay. Because God’s will will be done, whether it’s on your to do list or not.