A relaxing Saturday evening…
Saturday evening, several friends came over to our house again. Our family had an emotional and stressful week. Earlier in the week, the doctor thought that Margaret, my wife, was having heart problems. After a couple of days of tests and waiting, the doctor said that she was fine.
Anyway, we all needed to relax a little, and that’s just what we did Saturday evening. We were able to talk with some friends, share some good food, and hear about what God was doing in their lives. But, it was a different kind of meeting. We didn’t have any deep discussions. Instead, we had a relaxing and encouraging evening.
This is not to say that we did not challenge or exhort one another. In fact, since then I’ve been thinking about several statements that were made Saturday night. In particular, a few people talked about how God was leading them in their lives. We talked about the difference between making plans and acting on our plans, and waiting for God.
I’m not against planning. I know very few people who are against planning. The question is: do I act according to my plans, or do I allow God to direct me? Sometimes the two coincide. Sometimes they don’t. Like the psalmist, I want to be a person who waits patiently on the Lord.
Hi Allen
I think the hard thing is discerning between the plans we make such as in James, and if God is wanting to do something different. The thing that I have found interesting and distressing is how much variation there is in our body on this issue. It will be interesting to see how people react to this tension.
Ed,
I agree that the difficulty lies in discerning between our plans and God’s will. I believe that even in variation, God can and will reveal Himself to us and all his children, if we are listening. I plan to react by listening to and trusting God… I’m sure others will as well. So, I have every confidence that God will bring us to where He wants us – which may be different than any of our plans.
-Alan