There's a humorous saying: "If you want God to laugh, tell Him your plans." Or as Allen Saunders (echoed by John Lennon a few decades later) said, "Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans."
Soon the holiday season will be upon us. We'll be making lists, preparing our homes and undertaking all sorts of tasks in readiness for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most of these activities are so familiar to us that we can practically do them with our eyes closed. But still, the best of intentions go astray. The wrapping paper you run out of ... the batch of cookies that burns. One of us at church last year even sprained her thumb while hand-writing gift tags. As the character Roseanne Roseannadanna played by Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live used to bemoan, "It's always something."
Our own goals are just that: our own. They are based on our own ambitions and our own visions of what the future should look like. The "right" ugly Christmas sweater will surely brighten that party. The "right" turkey stuffing will really make it a meal worth remembering. We are the ones deciding what is "right." Perhaps, though, God has something else in mind?
About a decade ago, one Bethany member carefully measured, mixed and rolled crusts to create several delicious-looking pumpkin pies. Pies which the family dog came along and gobbled down when her back was turned. (Who knew he could reach the counter?!) Panic ensued. An alternate crust-less recipe was quickly cobbled together and guests enjoyed the new version every bit as much.
In Proverbs 2:6 we read, "All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.” To each of us our own ideas are the best. Yet how can we know if what we wish for is God's will? Praying helps, as well as identifying what the issues at hand really are. It's also helpful to discern just who or what exactly is involved: who or what benefits? who or what is sacrificed? What would Jesus say if he was right here, right now?
There are usually no easy answers to our questions. We must make the time to think everything through, hear others' input ... and—hardest of all—be willing to recognize what God is telling us. As creative and positive as we are, surrendering our own pet solutions and "I know what's best" attitudes is incredibly hard. Listening for God's firm but loving direction is key. And it helps us accept when things don't go as we anticipated.
Says author Erik Larson, "Man plans. God laughs."
And sometimes the people eat a different pie.
—Cathy Betts Sapunor
