Never-ending Faithfulness

I am a planner. I've had my life planned out from the ripe old age of, oh, seven or eight:) Go to college, graduate, get married, have babies. Well, maybe that's a very general plan, but it's all come together quite nicely so far. Sometimes things don't go as we plan, and it's really frustrating for someone like me who doesn't handle change very well. When things don't go the way I thought they were going to, I get all stressed out and my thoughts are consumed with figuring out how to get things back on track so they fit nicely into the compartments of my mind (men aren't always the only ones who compartmentalize!).

Recently, I was asked to pray about a part-time job opportunity that I had been hoping might come along. After praying for a week, I felt like God clearly told me to accept the opportunity, so, that's what I did. Lots of details were still up in the air, but God was providing for our finances and I was going to be challenged to grow in Him more than ever before. In the weeks since, details have changed and I've been stressed out to the point that I don't want to pursue the job anymore. But, then the thought occurred to me that I can't give up simply because I don't feel like dealing with change. God told me to do this, so I have to follow through. His will doesn't change along with my moods. And His plan is bigger and better than anything I can think up anyway! So, I'm sticking it out to see what's in store. I'd rather be obedient and experience a few growing pains than be selfish, take the easy road and miss out on the blessing of the Lord. God is faithful, He knows my needs, and He has a plan to meet those needs.

Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Speaking of faithfulness, recently I have seen first-hand how faithful God is. Eleven years ago, divorce ripped Alex's family apart. His parents were devastated and helpless to watch as their ex-son-in-law moved across the country with his 3 sons - their only grandchildren at the time - cutting the boys off from the rest of the family. Last summer was the first time in ten years that Alex had seen his nephews. It almost seemed like too much to hope for that they would be allowed to come back again this summer for a repeat visit, but, God is faithful and He made a way! The boys just left after another wonderful two-week visit. I thought it would be really special to get pictures taken of all 8 grandchildren together with their grandparents so we could always remember that God will grant us the desires of our hearts and He is always working things out even when the situation seems hopeless. The timing couldn't have been more perfect either, because my in-law's 39th wedding anniversary is this Saturday, and we're getting this picture framed for them as a gift.

One more reminder of God's faithfulness is this precious little bundle of joy:

I've waited for her since I was that little seven year-old girl making big plans for her life, and boy was she worth the wait!