Plans with No Chocolate

Some of you may be in a chocolate coma from Valentines Day, so if you are- SNAP OUT OF IT!  I didn’t get any chocolate, so that’s not fair.  Just kidding…I specifically made it clear to my boys- no candy for me. 

This week, one thing has been clear to me.  The best laid plans…(what is that saying?)  Well, you know where I’m going- things don’t always work out the way you planned. 

Just a few examples…

I planned to take my boys to the Varsity for Valentine’s Day (strange, but that’s our tradition).  They decided to veer from tradition and wanted to go to Waffle House instead.  Okay, next plan…

We planned to go to Waffle House for Valentine’s Day.  Who knew they were taking RESERVATIONS?!  Not us.  We arrived at 6:30, they could seat us at 8:50.  Okay, next plan…

We went across the parking lot to I-Hop. 

Stop for a minute…is this the saddest Valentine’s Day story you’ve ever heard, or what?!

Anyway- we went to I-Hop.  I’ve been there before, so I don’t know what happened, but it was by far the worst experience I’ve ever had in a restaurant.  Two different times- after waiting a good while, they returned to our table to tell us they couldn’t give us what we ordered.  One time- they realized they were out of that particular thing, and the other time- they had forgotten to thaw out the meats, so they couldn’t make what we ordered.  I’m not trying to trash I-Hop, but this one time was not good.

However, in the midst of all that turmoil, we had a great Valentine’s Day.  The food took forever to come to our table, and it was…well, food…not great.  But…we laughed (a lot) and we talked, and so, despite all of the failed plans, the night turned out even better than expected. 

We can plan our lives – the little things, and the big things- for ourselves, or we can follow the plan laid in front of us with all of its unexpected twists and turns.  God’s plan for us- the one He laid out- may be full of surprises (for us- not Him), but it’s still the best one. He knows when we need to break with tradition, He knows when we’ll need reservations, and He knows ahead of time when we’ll hit a rough spot- where our “order” won’t be right. He also knows that if we stick to His plan, that despite all of that, our lives will be better than we expected. 

And…my guess is that we’ll get to laugh- and cry- and talk- a lot all along the way. 

Jeremiah 29:11- “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Trusting His plans today…