A Better Plan

 Many years ago people used to carry day planners. They scheduled appointments, meetings, deadlines, and to do lists down to the minute. Funny thing though, life often got in the way to mess up the plans. I have had one such day. I had a plan. My day did not unfold the way I thought it would. 

For starters, I woke up super early. Too early. Way earlier than I intended. I have yawned several times this afternoon in the office. I had a doctor's appointment at 9:00 a.m. in Fort Worth. I knew exactly what time I needed to leave and hit the target. All went pretty smooth until I discovered the exit I needed to take was closed. Next thing I know, I am doing a tour through downtown trying to navigate my way back to where I needed to be. The cost of the visit turned out to be substantially more than I anticipated. Easy come easy go. 

I returned home after the appointment to grab something to eat. When I got ready to leave again my truck would not start. The battery was dead. It worked fine all morning. I knew it sounded like it was getting weak but I did not plan on it dying. I called a deacon who gave me jump start and off I went to the store to get a new one installed. The wait time was two and a half hours! All I could do was walk around aimlessly to pass the time. Not what I had planned. 

I did not even step foot into the office today until nearly 2:00 p.m. Not what I had planned. 

Paul had a plan. An agenda to take the gospel message to Asia and then to Bithynia but the Holy Spirit forbid him and his team. Not what Paul planned. His plans were closed doors. It made no sense. People in both of those places needed to hear about Jesus. Logic dictated it was a good plan. Only a plan God did originate and hindered from fulfillment. 

God spoke to Paul that night in a vision to reveal His better plan. [Acts 16:9-10] To go to Macedonia and labor there. Paul concluded that vision was the will of God and they charted a course to Macedonia. That set some things in motion that was a better plan than Paul had come up with. There were intricate details in God's plan that would not fully unfold for some time. In the end, the tapestry of the better plan sure becomes crystal clear. 

Paul eventually followed God's better plan into Philippi and Thessanolica. He would plant churches in both these places. He later wrote epistles to these churches. In God's better plan, we have God inspired books of the Bible that came as a result of God's better plan. That is 12 chapters of sharper than any two edged sword sacred scripture we have because God's plan was better. 

In 2017, Brenda and I were seeking God for a new place to serve. We were contacted by two churches in west Texas. I had prayed for God to send us back to west Texas. I preached out there many times over the years and loved the people. We also enjoyed a wonderful ministry at First Baptist Seminole. I wanted to return west. 

The first church we interviewed with really grabbed our hearts. We both felt a peace about it. We connected with people on the search committee I still keep in contact with to this day. When all cleared, they presented three candidates to the church on the same day. The Sunday I preached there was a holiday weekend and many of the people were out of town and did not hear me preach. They went in a different direction. I sure did not understand. That church seemed like a perfect match for our family. 

Months went by and we were contacted by another church in a town we were somewhat familiar with. We had passed through that town many times and even stopped to eat there after our son's ball games and track meets. Brenda and I once again drove to interview. We enjoyed the people. I preached the following Sunday in the church a friend pastored and the search committee came to hear me. Later that week they contacted me to tell me they wanted us. Brenda and I did not have peace about it and turned them down. 

Once again my plan did not work out. For the next two years we served a small church in Weatherford, TX. I worked hard trying to grow the church. We prayed, knocked on doors, and held outreach events that were poorly attended. The attendance and the finances of the church really dwindled. Another door seemed to be closing. 

That is when God's better plan opened. Spring Creek Baptist Church. A church Brenda and I had history with dating back 30 years when we labored here in youth ministry. Out of over 100 resumes they sifted through and landed on mine. We interviewed with them and reconnected with some old friends. Long story shortened they called us. God had a better plan. I sit here over two years later thankful for God's better plan and closing doors that looked so appealing to me. Those churches were great in their own right but God ordained us to be back here. It is truly a labor of love. A blessing for which I can never give enough thanks or praise for God making happen. 

You may have encountered some closed doors recently. You may feel frustrated and confused. If you submit yourself to God, seek Him continually, and wait on Him I am confident He will show you His better plan. Stay the course brothers and sisters. Stay the course. God's better plan may be unfolding for you just around the corner. His better plan is worth the wait.