|
Someone emailed me with a strange, but nevertheless, enticing question the other day. The question was, "If you could give any advice from what you've learned about life over the years, what would that advice be?" I pondered the question before typing out my answer. Surely this old cowgirl had learned something worth passing on in all my years, but what? And then the answer came to me. It was advice that I'd learned, albeit sometimes from the school of hard knocks, and sometimes by the seat of my pants, but I'd learned it, none the less. I quickly began to type my "advice", and with the click of a mouse, I sent it quietly into cyberspace never to be rescinded again. Ahhh, advice - such a whimsical thing when you think about it, and yet, such a revealing notion of the "complicated life lessons" we hope we've learned. So, what is my advice? It's simple, really. Always write your plans in pencil and be willing to change. Why? God's purpose for your life is always higher than your plans, and He has written that purpose in blood!
WRITE YOUR PLANS IN PENCIL
AND BE WILLING TO CHANGE
BECAUSE ...
GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE IS ALWAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR PLANS, AND HE HAS WRITTEN THAT PURPOSE IN BLOOD!
"For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?"
(Isaiah 14: 27, ESV)
When I was young, I used to get upset when my plans changed, especially if I'd worked hard and long at making them. Then, one day I came face to face with the reality of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. My encounter with Jesus changed my life, and subsequently, all my plans. I used to write my plans in magic marker. Today, I write all my plans in pencil, and so should you. Why? There are times when our plans need to change (be revised) perhaps to accompany unforeseen circumstances. Othertimes, our plans need to be edited and/or rewritten. And finally, there are times when we must be willing to completely erase our plans in order to live our life with a higher purpose in mind - God's purpose. Right about now, you should be asking yourself, "But doesn't God want me to have plans?" The answer is "Yes!" But life is about much more than your plans. Ultimately, it's all about God's plan for you.
It could be said that everybody has a plan, but not all plans have a higher purpose. If you're alive and breathing, chances are good that you have plans. The plans you have depend a lot on who you are, and even to some extent, how you're hard-wired (i.e. how you think). Some folks entertain over-the-top, grandiose plans every single day, while others entertain small, more humble plans. And, of course, there are those who never seem to have a plan at all! Whether our plans are big or small, or somewhere in between, we all have plans. So, is having plans a bad thing? Absolutely not! In fact, the Bible says that many plans are in a man's mind. God has placed within you and me, not only hope for tomorrow, but even the mind to make plans for our future. In fact, the Bible says that even God has plans for us...
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
(Jeremiah 29: 11, ESV)
However, even God's plans for us (plans for our welfare, and our future, and to give us a hope) can be thwarted if we're not willing to be His partner in achieving that plan. In other words, even the best laid plans are subject to change! Let me give you an example. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, every single one of them left with the same promise - the promise of possessing their "promised land". The Bible tells us that the promised land was not a figment of their imagination, but a real place filled with lush vineyards they had not labored to plant, and beautiful homes they had not labored to build. God had devised a wonderful plan for the welfare, future, and the hope of His chosen people. And yet, we know that many of those Israelites never made it out of the desert alive, and they never possessed the land. Why not? After all, God promised, right? The reason many of the Israelites never entered into their promised land is a text-book study for you and me in the consequences of disobedience. Disobedience and having the wrong plan can and does rob us of our God-given destiny.
Simply put, the Israelites had plans of their own, and unfortunately, their plans kept getting in the way of God's purpose for their life!
On their journey to the promised land, the Israelites chose to build a golden calf to worship while Moses was on the mountain receiving God's Ten Commandments. The plans of the Israelites were in direct opposition to God's purpose for their life. As a result, many died in the desert and never possessed their promised land.
While Moses was on the mountain getting the Ten Commandments from God, the Israelites spent their time making other plans. Collectively, they chose to build a golden calf (a false image) to worship, and they made plans to burn incense at the foot of this great beast in the same manner they had witnessed pagans doing while they were yet slaves in Egypt. Talk about bad planning - the serious consequences of their plans would be huge in scope, not only for them, but for their children. No doubt, the plans of the Israelites were continually in direct opposition to God's higher purpose for their life. As a result, most of them never walked into their promised land, and instead, they perished in the desert along with their plans.
So, did God lie to the Israelites? Did He simply bring them out of Egyptian bondage only to let them die in the desert? The answer is an emphatic "No"! His plan for their life was to bring them out of bondage. His plan was to lead them out of the desert and into the land of milk and honey. His plan was to give them a hope and a future, and to be their Jehovah Jireh (their provider). But the Israelites had plans of their own! Listen closely, now. Just like many people today, the Israelites had a plan for their lives. They planned to do what they wanted, when they wanted, and where they wanted to do it.
Furthermore, they fully expected (prayed and believed) that God would go along with their plan, and also foot the bill! In the long run (and the long run is all that counts in the end), did their plans change God's plans? You're doggone right it did, but not in the way they had planned! So, who actually walked out of the desert alive and into the promised land? Only those who were willing to exchange their plans for God's higher purpose.
WALKING OUT OF THE DESERT ALIVE...
AND INTO A HIGHER PURPOSE!
Back in the day, me and my three year old palomino
paint horse, Jesse James (left) and Kiowa (right) at
Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN.
Make no mistake about it, just like people, horses have plans. Whether or not a horse carries an invisible Dayplanner in his brain, or simply makes plans on the spur of the moment, is open for debate. I'm joking, of course. But one thing is for certain - a horse can sure "change up" our plans! I first discovered this fact while on a trip to Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch years ago. My husband, Kim, and I had loaded up the horse trailer with our three favorite mounts, Charly One-Horse, Kiowa, and Jesse James, and we set out on the long drive to Loretta's. My horse Charly was a "go anywhere you point her" seasoned trail horse. And Kim's horse, Kiowa, was just a good ol' boy who never looked for trouble. My three-year old horse, Jesse James (yep, named for my grandfather on my dad's side of the family) was another story, entirely.
Jesse was definitely a young and inexperienced buckaroo. Still, when planning our week-long trail ride, I had envisioned gingerly walks through the woods together, sweet jogs down well-marked pathways, and maybe even a delightful swim with my horse in a cool refreshing river at the end of each day. Those were my plans, of course. Trust me when I tell you that Jesse had plans of his own! Within the short course of a week, this three year old palomino paint horse had tested me every which way but loose, and he had worn my patience thin. And yet, I was still determined to turn this "full of himself" youngster into an amazing trail horse. My higher purpose for Jesse would not be without it's challenges.
Our first challenge wasted no time in presenting itself. Jesse would have preferred to jump through a hoop of fire rather than cross the water that lay before us. To him, the shallow water looked like the Red Sea with no bottom. I reminded myself to sit steady in the saddle, and cued my horse to go forward, "This water ain't parting, partner, so you're gonna have to get wet." But instead of listening and obeying my cue, Jesse stood still as if his feet were cemented to the ground. I cued him again. Still nothing. After much persistence, and lots of circle games allowing his feet to get closer and closer to the water's edge, finally Jesse took a few brave steps into the water. "Good boy", I said softly as I gently stroked the side of his neck. I could feel the tension ease from his back as he began the motion of licking and chewing (a sign that he was relaxing), and he let out a deep sigh of relief. We had won a major victory together, albeit it, it was short-lived. Why? I knew Jesse still had a few more plans of his own.
Me and 3 year old Jesse James conquering one of
the many water crossings at Loretta Lynn's Dude
Ranch. In the beginning, Jesse was resistant to
going in the water. Why? He had other plans.
One challenge after another, Jesse continually tested me. Just when I thought there were no more tricks in his bag, he pulled out all the stops. While on a group ride, and with more than one hundred riders doing the elephant walk in perfect file up a narrow and craggy mountain trail, Jesse suddenly broke rank. In less time than it takes to blink an eye, he lowered his head to grab a bite of forbidden grass, only to raise his head instantly with the look of sheer panic in his eyes. Before I could get the words "Oh no, he's been stung!" out of my mouth, Jesse headed off backwards - yes, backwards - taking both of us straight down the side of the steep mountain.
For a brief moment, time stood still. And in that moment, the most amazing (and crazy) thought entered my mind - take your feet out of the stirrups, reach out and grab a tree trunk, and swing yourself out of the saddle! And, even more amazing, that's just what I did. Meanwhile, Jesse continued "solo" until he reached the bottom of the mountain where he landed with a rather grandiose display of roll-overs, followed by a gigantic thud. After the dust settled, I stood there frozen as I clung to the tree trunk and contemplated Jesse's future, "Should I just shoot him now, or should I forgive him and give him another chance?" Jesse stood up, shook off the dust, and looked up the mountain at me with soft, big brown eyes as if nothing had happened. And, well, if you're a horse lover like me, you know what happened next. I forgave my horse. And soon I was back in the saddle again.
There's a saying that all is well that ends well. In spite of Jesse's many mistakes, his over-zealous actions at times, and yes, even his self-indulgent plans that often made me look like a hostage rather than his leader - I still had a higher purpose for him. It was a higher purpose that would one day transform (change) him from that of a young, inexperienced, flighty, and even dangerous horse, into a smart, brave, and unflappable horse willing to go anywhere I pointed him, and with no fear. Do horses have plans of their own? The jury is still out on that one, but suffice to say, people have plans. And while most of our plans are a good thing with no need for revision, still, some of our plans could probably use a little editing, or even, perhaps in some situations, a complete re-write (change). Finally, it's been said that advice worth giving is certainly worth repeating, so here goes ...
Always write your plans in pencil and be willing to change, because God's purpose for your life is always higher than your plans, and He has written that purpose in blood!
|
