When Plans Change: Trusting God In Life's Surprising Detours

Photo Credit: Watts Street Baptist Church

I write this as I prepare to take our students to summer camp. I have written a few articles over the years around this time, but it continues to be surprising that it’s a subject matter that comes up. Why?—Because when I stopped working directly with youth, I assumed back then that my time attending summer camps would end. In the church I previously pastored, we didn’t take students to camp. In returning to Starnes Cove, I was certain it would always be a youth director who took the students instead of me. And yet, here we are again. Now, I enjoy being with the students (it makes me miss youth ministry every time). While camp week is busy (I once added up the work hours, and it is about a 100-hour week), I enjoy being with them in it. But, I’m surprised that for all the times I thought I wouldn’t be there again, here I am.

Life is like this sometimes. You have a connection with a person—they move or change jobs and you’re sure you won’t see them again. Then, one day years later, they walk into your church and you bond together.—Or maybe you work in a job somewhere and you leave for another company. Unexpectedly, one day you find yourself jobless and looking, and they’re hiring again. These things are unexpected, but they happen – so what does that tell us about life?

The wisdom literature of Proverbs 19:21 tells us this – “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” It is right for us to use wisdom and experiences to generally set a course for our days – as in what or where we will live, work, or do. However, we must be wise not to settle with too much confidence that any direction we set is final and unchanging. Life is unpredictable, as Ecclesiastes 9:11 tells us: “…time and chance happen to all.” Sometimes events seem favorable, sometimes they don’t. But they all occur under Christ.

It is Christ in whom our confidence should rest, not in ideal circumstances. Should the accident happen at work, Christ would remain in control. When the bonus comes in from our company, Christ remains in control. When that marriage falls apart against our protests, Christ remains in control. When we find new love, Christ remains in control. We do not know what will come and what will not come. Even our best efforts to control our lives will face failure and shortcomings, which is why the call of our God is not that we control our lives, but that we live faithfully daily and trust that he is in control over all else.

I’m looking forward to returning from Caswell to share with you all the great things the Lord is doing. Likewise, I know our group going on mission to Mexico will look forward to sharing as well. So, between that and other things the Lord has in his care that we don’t know yet, join us this month for worship and fellowship as we trust him together, because he is in control.

In Christ,

William