A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
My sister got got married in October a few years ago. She and her husband (that looks pretty cool to see it officially in print) had met in college. He is from Virginia, and she is from Kentucky. He chose the college because it offered a degree in the field he wanted to pursue. She chose the college mostly because it was where I had gone. In addition to the joy and celebration, the wedding taught me some important things about God’s plans for us.
God’s plans are long-term.
I would have never guessed at my own college graduation, that the stage had been set for my then four-year-old sister to meet her husband, but it was. We tend to look for the evidence of God’s plans as they unfold in the next few weeks or months. God always acts with eternity and the ultimate consummation of His plans in view.
God’s plans are not just linear.
To bring my sister and her husband together, God orchestrated the seemingly unrelated actions of dozens of people to accomplish His purposes. Think of it, everything from registering for classes to ensure they met, to the relationships with mutual friends who reconnected them, all put them on the path that ended this weekend at the wedding. There is no random chance event in our lives. God is using all of them.
God’s plans include us.
A decision I made thirty-some years ago (wow, that is painful to write) played a role in my sister’s marriage. Someone else decided to build a degree program in emergency medicine that drew a Virginia guy hundreds of miles from home. The decisions we make impact others. There’s no denying that. When we seek to follow God’s plans, He uses our obedience to further His greater plans. That’s a humbling reality.
I love the a-ha moments when I recognize how God had moved in my life or in the lives of others. Not only am I amazed that He lets me be part of it all, but it gives me reassurance during those times when I can’t see His hand anywhere.
When have you seen God at work?