But has anyone learned their lesson about planning yet? It's an optimistic activity; almost bordering on naive because there is an absence of guarantee to it. Yet when people start constructing their future goals and whatnot, almost all of them believe that everything will work out exactly as imagined -- as if the world revolved around them. And all too many times, when the plans are subject to change, almost everyone is surprised or taken aback. Don't get me wrong, I think planning is a necessary task. What is missing too often is the tempering of expectations that something may go awry.
Why should we think like that? Well, contrary to belief, it's not pessimism. As a Christian, I think it is important to recognize that sometimes, our plan is not God's plan. He has a greater purpose for us that has been precisely mapped out to an extent that is beyond our imagination. God sees the whole forest when all we see is the tree in front of us. That's why when our plans don't work out, it's because it does not coincide with God's will.
This is hard to take most of the time. People by nature are arrogant and self-consuming -- we believe that we, and only ourselves, know what's best for us. We then make our plans accordingly, but it is impossible for our plans to be foolproof when we are beings that are stuck with permanent nearsightness. To keep it simple, God knows best, and His plan is what drives us along a certain path. When we want something that causes us to stray, He will redirect us at the expense of our temporary desires. While we may not understand the reasoning or see the benefits right away, it is faith that should compel us not to be bitter, but to accept the fact that while everything may seem right and in place, it is often the timing that isn't.
God is all knowing, there is no justification in fighting His will. When our plans do not fall in line with His, we must realign ourselves. Let me use a personal example. All throughout high school, the only extracurricular activity I was involved in was our basketball team. I was always able to balance the practices and games with my grades, and while I loved the sport, I loved the status and the attention that came with it a little more. By the time my final year came around, I expected no different. I also believed I was entitled to a roster spot because I was always a part of it, even in the presence of a new coach. God showed me differently and taught me a hard lesson. At the time, I was so bitter that I could not see past the fact that I WAS CUT, and it almost consumed me. I felt the world had somehow wronged me because I overestimated myself. While I would love nothing more than to rag on Dougall and point fingers on why I didn't make the team in my last year, ultimately, it was me who let myself fall out of shape, gain weight and slack off. In hindsight, when God took away the only source of escape I had from my life, it was not to punish me. It was to show me that I did not deserve basketball until I made some changes to my lifestyle and my mindset.
In the end, what did I lose? A season? Social status? It all seems trivial now. What God gave me was the ability to appreciate the game at its purest. Look, I shouldn't have had to play with a school team to love basketball. That year opened my door to playing with my church team, where God gave me the opportunity to take on more responsibility basketball-wise and develop my leadership abilities, which was never necessary as a role player. It also forced me to realize I needed to take care of my body to appreciate what I love as long as I possibly could, and after losing all that weight I have never looked back since.
When I think back, I would be lying if I said I thought it was fair of Dougall to cut me, but sometimes, life isn't fair. But I'm satisfied with where I am now because I know if I didn't get cut, I would have never played for ZAC, never focused on my body, and would still have the mindset that I'm better than you just because I made the team. Now I think I'm better than you because I can prove it on the court.
The point is, everyone has those "wow I'm so much better off now that I think about it" stories and experiences. God blesses us all in the end, so it's best for us not to be caught up in the failures and shortcomings of our own plans in the moment, but to look ahead and know that God will reward us with something better when He wills it.
Look, I know it's a lot easier said than done. I dwell all the time, but we just need to accept the fact that people are people and sometimes it doesn't work out. For us Christians, when we say, "I'll leave it in God's hands", how many of us secretly go home and replan everything and try to take control again? I'm definitely guilty of that. I guess it's a constant struggle to have complete faith because we're all afraid of the uncertainty. Ultimately, that fear is misplaced because there is nothing more certain than God, and sometimes we just tend to lose sight of that. I didn't mean for this to become a rant -- it was more of the fact that I had to write it all down to remind myself. If anyone wants to discuss this issue, feel free to hit me up -- you guys know where to find me.
On the other hand, when our plan and God's plan coincide, it's a beautiful thing. Check it out, it's pure, unadulterated joy from one of my favourite players -- real recognize real.
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