I sometimes share an Upper Room devotional as my director-™s article, sometimes because it particularly speaks to me or I think it particularly applies to what we do here at MUST, and sometimes because it-™s been a crazy week and I haven-™t had time to collect and compose my thoughts to write something of my own.
Even though I try not to use an Upper Room devotional two weeks in a row, the one from this past Monday spoke to me so much that I wanted to share it.
Paul wrote, -�Since I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. . . . Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord-™s people there.-�
- Romans 15:23-25 (NIV)
Often my Plan A falls through, and I have to go with Plan B. Before graduation, my -�humble-� Plan A was first to pastor a 2,000-member church and then work my way up from there. I landed in Plan B: a country church with 38 members. It was the best thing that could have happened, giving my wife and me the chance to focus on establishing our marriage. When I retired, my Plan A was to hike the forest trails of southern Oregon. Then I started experiencing foot problems. Plan B became the rewarding ministries of interim pastoral work and representing abused children in court.
The apostle Paul-™s Plan A: to plant churches in Spain. He landed in prison. His Plan B: to write letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon while in prison -" letters that have blessed millions of people for centuries. The Moabite Ruth-™s Plan A was to live a quiet life in Moab with her foreigner husband. When her husband died, a new plan kicked in and she moved to Israel, becoming an ancestor of Jesus -" her faith and commitment an inspiration to countless people.
We all make plans and suffer disappointment when those plans don-™t come to fruition. I-™ve learned that however grand our goals, God might have deeper spiritual opportunities in store for us that can turn our disappointment into joy.
Thought for the Day
Today, I will look for the “Plan B” opportunities God brings my way.
Prayer
Guardian of our lives, in the midst of frustration, help us to believe that you have greater plans for us than we even know to dream. Amen.
I imagine MUST is Plan B (or C or D) for our clients. I pray that God can use us to make their Plan B His best plan for their lives.
Blessings,
Kendall Jones
MUST Program Director in Cherokee County