So I am a planner of sorts. Some of you laugh because you have seen my plans and heard my plans and then witness what I don't accomplish with those plans. Some of you laugh because you know of my list of plans and my various plans according to season, holiday or other. Regardless of my plans, I am a planner. In fact, while I was wasting time sitting in my college classes (second to back, near the wall) I would plan my life out. Partly because I am a girl and partly because I am a girly-girl, I would sit in the back while organizational psychology droned on, and I would plan my life. Sadly, I would get out a sheet of paper and start with my age and label down the page important events that would take place at the appropriate interval. Unlike most girls I had planned to marry later and have kids later, but it all pretty much looked the same. I would meet my husband after college, we would date for a year, we would have a short (SHORT) engagement and we wouldn't have kids for another two of three years after we were married. Then the kids would come, sometimes I planned two years like clockwork, occasionally I would plan 3 or 4 years in between. If class was super long I would look at my planned life according to my grandkids. It really passed the time...
Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on my mood), life has not lived up to my mediocre, monotonous planned parenting/family/paper life. I used to be sad about this. It still kind of grates as I watch more and more of my loved ones get married and pregnant. But through a lot of my reading and time with God lately, He is showing me fantastic things. Things I can't even define or put my finger on yet, but have given me an uncontrollable excitement about my life in His hands.
For instance, just today I was reading in this book (Radical by David Platt AMAZING!!!) and I was reading Romans. For what felt like the first time. I mean, REALLY reading it. And there are these verses that are just soooooo amazing. Journey with me!
In Romans 4:17 Paul talks about Abraham and his amazing faith. And the verse goes on to say "the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."
What a strange verse! I mean, I understand what he is talking about with the life to the dead part, but the second part really got me and I wanted to know more. The side reference called for 1Corinthians 1:28, so I ventured there. "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."
What an awesome insight into how Christ has designed us to live! Not this planned out version on paper, but a life where all of us is given up for His glory so that we are nothing so His glory can be the only thing that is seen. I can't even think of the right combination of letters on this keyboard to express what I am feeling. Only that I am excited! I am excited for a life that is more than a flat piece of paper. I am excited for a life that shows God is God and I am not as I continue to rely on His holiness to lead the way instead of my meager attempts of scheduling. I am excited about seeing God's grace for an unsaved lost world as I venture past the house, the car, the husband, the kids that my heart desires to new possibilities of what God desires for my heart to yearn for as I disciple and learn. I AM EXCITED!! With that, I leave you with an awesome verse that shows God's ultimate love and His perfect timing!
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." - Romans 5:6
