Trusting God’s Plan

Two things you may not know about Ronda and Joe…

1. Joe and Ronda broke up for several months before their marriage.

2. Joe and Ronda lost a baby in 2017.

I don’t talk about either of those things much, because even though they happened years ago, each event is still a greenish blue bruise that is slightly tender to touch. Yet, they are part of the love story that is Joe and Ronda. And what is a good love story without a moment where the reader thinks the couple might not make it after all, or a few sad, tear-stained pages?

Mostly, I give you those two facts about our relationship because they stand out as moments that were NOT in the plan. At least, they were not in MY plan. I couldn’t see it at the time, but they were part of God’s plan.

This week, Joe writes about trusting God’s plans before your own.

He wrote:

Trusting in God

This morning I want to talk to you about trusting in God’s plans for our lives.

How often do we not trust our Heavenly Father? Scripture notes many examples of people who didn’t trust in Him- Jonah, Moses, Peter, etc. But He still looked after them, and He made a way to fulfill His plan despite their lack of faith.

We are created by the one who knows us and loves us the most. He wants our devotion, our love, and mostly our trust.

I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when the will of God seems to be completely contrary to what I think I should be doing. Sometimes I just cannot understand His plans. But it is in those times that we need to look past what we think or what we want to do and simply trust Him. Simply trust HIS plan.

Isaiah 55:9 tells us that His ways are higher than our ways and that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. If we trust Him, we can be assured that His plan is just like Him—perfect.

Jeremiah 29:11 states: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster to give you future and a hope’’.

Today, I encourage you to do something that is not always easy to do. I encourage you lay down your plans. Lay your plans down at the feet of Jesus and seek the perfect plan He has for you.

I leave you, this morning with Psalm 28:6-8: “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with song I praise Him.”

-JMP

The summer that Joe and I spent apart, God got my attention. He had tried for years before, but as a pretty stubborn “fixer”, I thought I could do things my way, by my plan. I found myself face down on my floor, crying out to the Lord for help. And He helped me. I had always believed in God, but it was then that I learned to BELIEVE God (there is such a difference). I learned to trust His ways, even when the world told me to give up. I also learned that it was ok to love Joe fiercely (which I did and I still do), but I must love God even more. I loved on God so hard that summer and He loved on me in return. When Joe and I mended our fences, we were both changed…changed in ways that made our lives together so full and rich…and so much better than anything I had imagined in my own plan.

Then came baby…and if ever something has NOT been in the plan! We had a SENIOR in high school, an 8th grader and a 7th grader. I was too old (advanced maternal age was the term used by my doctor)! We had our future already planned! But God…

After a few days of absolute shock, we both found ourselves madly in love with the idea that we might raise a baby together. It was a dream neither of us thought could be a reality for us…yet here we were. The sweetness and tenderness in Joe’s eyes when we talked about our baby is something I will forever hold close to my heart. Those were precious days!

Sadly, our dream was not meant to be. Our baby went to be with Jesus at the start of my second trimester. And once again, I struggled with God’s plan. Why would He give us this unexpected gift just to take it away? Why would He allow us to hurt this way?

The “Why’s” of my heart now that Joe is gone are even bigger…more difficult to grasp. Lysa TerKeurst gives the most plausible answer I have found in her book It’s Not Supposed to be This Way when she writes from God’s perspective, “Why did the destruction and devastation march into your life? You’ll never know those answers. But trust me-it wouldn’t make anything better if you did have those answers. I’ve not kept those answers from you in a cruel exercise of My power. I’ve kept them because only I can bear the weight of them.”

So, here I am, making the decision every single day to trust in the Lord and the plan He has for me. Looking back, I see how God used that break up years ago to prepare me for this season. The Lord held me so tightly in the palm of His hand that summer, just as He holds me now. Just as He holds you. During the summer of our baby, God gave me a glimpse of the Joe I never thought I would be allowed to see–A Joe who held his hand on my belly and looked at me with the sweetness and wonder of a daddy-to-be.

None of those things were in my plan. Losing Joe was most certainly not in my plan. But they were part of His plan. When I consider those gifts–a stronger relationship with God, the miracle of a baby, and the wonderful life I shared with my sweet Joe–I believe with all of my heart that God’s plan for me is good.

His plan for you is good. I promise you that. No matter where you are, no matter what you are facing, sweet friend, know this. The palm of God’s hand is mighty, safe and strong. He will carry you every minute. I know this because He is carrying me. Trust Him. Trust His plan. He is good. All the time.

Words of Wisdom from The Book of Joe