God's Plans

**I wrote this several months ago after being asked to speak at my school's FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) morning meetings. As I was re-reading it, I realized that I've been thinking about a lot of these same things, so I thought I'd share.**

I am so excited to be here and share with you a devotion and motivational talk.  As many of you can probably tell, I am not, nor ever was, an athlete.  Unless, of course, my one year in gymnastics when I was four counts!  I did rock the mat and leotard, and I can do a pretty mean somersault!  However, I must say that I am a huge supporter of all my student athletes and I am  in constant awe of the dedication and power you bring to all your areas of athleticism.

When I was approached about speaking this morning, I wasn’t sure what to say or talk to all of you about.  I asked one of my students what she would like to hear about, and she said worrying about the future.  We talked about it for a minute and I soon thought about one of my  favorite Bible verses.  It comes from Jeremiah 29:11, and some of you might be familiar with it.  It says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  

I remember being where you are right now.  I remember the anxiety that high school brought to me.  I wanted to be liked.  I wanted to succeed.  I wanted to achieve my dreams.  Later on, I had graduated from UNCG.  I had my English degree and I had my teaching certificate.  It had always been my dream to become a teacher.  I felt that it was my gift from God to use.  I have always been very adamant about using the gifts God gives us.  I knew that I was supposed to be a teacher, and I just knew that I was suppose to teach in Morganton.

As you can probably tell, that plan did not come true.  I was devastated, and I was angry at God.  I thought that’s what He wanted!  I thought that it was His plan for me to teach in Morganton!  Be close to my family, friends, and make a difference there.  After several interviews and principals saying, “We’d really love to hire you, but there just aren’t any positions”, I thought,  “Why, God?  What are YOU doing?”  

Let me take a moment to reassure you that being angry with God is okay.  I think that He understands that it is inevitable for his creations to be upset.  My friend, Caroline, explained to me that if the opposite of faith is certainty, then God is okay with some emotion. He gets that we might question His plans and ways from time to time.  He created us this way.  

Like He does so often, God spoke to me through my preacher.  I have attended St. Matthews UMC for all my life, and I still attend when I visit Morganton.  It’s a tiny church, but it’s where I came to know and understand God.  It’s where I was confirmed into the church, and where I served Him during my teenage years.  During that summer of rejection, (as I liked to call it), I was sitting in church and the preacher began to preach.  He talked about worry, and about how sometimes in life, we don’t get what we want.  He talked about having to come to terms with the life God has planned, not us.    

It hit me like a ton of bricks.  I began to cry right there in church.  My mom put her arm around me, because she knew why I was so upset and how much I wanted to be in Morganton to teach.  It was at that point I knew I had to continue on my journey, and that God’s plan was different for me.  I prayed for God to lead me in the direction He saw fit and a week later my prayer was answered.

That next week, I interviewed at RCHS and a week after that, I accepted the job.  Because of being here, I’ve met some incredible students.  Students that have challenged me.  Students that have helped me grow in my faith.  Students that I am sure I will never forget.  Though I don’t speak a lot about my faith in my class, I always try to act like the Christian God wants me to be  in hopes that my students will see that and understand that.  I’ve gotten to become a leader, meet wonderful colleagues, and share my faith in a myriad of ways.

If I had stopped, if I had remained stuck, I would have never gotten this job.  You see, OUR plan and GOD’s plan for us don’t always match up.  However, He does have a perfect plan for you.  My mom always says that worrying about things won’t get you anywhere, kind of like sitting in a rocking chair.  Worrying about whether your plan will or won’t work out is like sitting in that rocking chair, sure it will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.  However, God knows your plan.  His plan.  He has PLANS for you.  Plans to give you HOPE.  Not create evil.  When you have faith in that, your whole world becomes clear.  

In the next couple years, or maybe even right now, you are making plans for your future.  You are making decisions that you are going to be so excited about.  You have to be prepared for when that plan doesn't work out, and when it doesn’t work out, you can’t be upset that your plan isn’t perfect.  You can’t freeze and stop your dreams.  God doesn’t want you to fail.  He doesn’t choose people to punish.  All of your disappointments and all of your greatest achievements are lessons from God.  You have to have faith in that.  When something doesn’t go your way, you have to trudge on, you have to have faith, you have to pray that you understand the meaning behind God’s plan.

I’ve had my share of disappointments.  I’ve been heartbroken.  I’ve had my faith tested.  But, I always come back to that verse from Jeremiah.  God has a plan.  God’s plan has my best interest at heart.  We have to believe that, and hold on to that.