Plans

"The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

I want you to think back to 72 days ago, today.

Where were you?

I was at Church. It was, by most measures, a pretty average Sunday. I shook hands, gave hugs, stood less than 6 feet away from someone while talking.

It seems so long ago.

They were all sorts of plans. It was Lent! One of the two biggest seasons in the Church year! We had plans for midweek services. We had plans for Palm Sunday, for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

I had all sorts of personal plans; I had plans to travel, weddings to attend, people I wanted to see.

All of those plans... Every single one of them changed in a matter of days. Most -- if not all of those plans -- were cancelled. It would be really easy to feel like God had ruined everything, but that's not true.

Let me be explicitly clear: I don't think COVID-19 was God's plan. I don't think it is God's will, or some kind of punishment from His hand. I think God has told us that the world is fading away. I think He told us that things would get worse before He returned. I think there are effects, that stem from the reality of sin existing in our world.

But I believe God works for us, even when our world is a complete mess. Here's what I think God's plan was for me, in the midst of a pandemic.

God gave me quality time at home. He gave me more time with my wife than I've had in two years of being married to her. We got to make dinner together, which had become pretty rare because of weekly events/commitments.

I got a chance to slow down, spend more time in God's Word, and really reflect about the importance behind the work I do.

It isn't about plans, or events, or anything like that. It is about the Gospel and bringing real help and change to people who are struggling.

God gave me a chance to host the food pantry at church, every week. And we've been able to help hundreds and hundreds of families.

God gave me the opportunity to start a podcast with one of my best friends, where we dive into Scripture. He gave me the opportunity to reach out to people I had fallen out of touch with. I've spent more time talking to old friends in the last two months, than I had done in the four years since I graduated college.

His plan was better than anything I had planned for myself. He was giving me so much more than what I had initially thought was being taken away. He didn't take from me. He didn't steal from me. He gave to me, abundantly.

Now, the quarantine is ending. I'm sure we all have all sorts of plans about what we'll do, where we'll go, and what life will be like.

Look for God's plan for you, in the midst of whatever else may be going on.