Plans Like Treasures
Safe in His hands
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
I used to live afraid my life wasn’t going to work out just right. The more I surrender to suffering and joy and whatever God has for me, the more my fear becomes that I won’t spend my life well.
~Jennie Allen,
I have recognized for my whole life that my plans have not often worked out as planned. However, the longer I live, the more I realize my life is turning out better than I could have ever dreamed.
The hurts, learning to keep short accounts, forgiving often and seeking reconciliation often, and yes, even the losses have all acted as high quality sandpaper in a gracious Creator’s hands. He’s used it all and wasted not a moment to smooth some of my roughest edges. There’s more to do, I’m quite sure.
All glory to God.
I’m reading this book, Restless, in conjunction with a small group of women. It’s an interesting concept in that she proposes we’re mostly all, regardless of age, stage of life, economic status, goals, career (or not), etc looking for our purpose in life. We might all be asking a similar question - “Is this it or is there more to my life?” Thus, her subtitle, “because you were made for more”.
Jennie Allen wrote this book more than a decade ago. She was younger in marriage, parenting and family life. So, now that she’s lived these many years since, I wonder how she would go back and reassess her assertions. I wonder, not as a critic, but as a fellow writer. Life circumstances change, people around us change, economies and culture change over time, and in the process we are changing too.
So back to committing my work unto the Lord. I would say, in my 7th decade of life, a big part of my purpose is committing my whole self unto the Lord. As I read, ponder concepts and scriptures before the Lord, and exchange ideas with my small group friends the reality of my current contentment unveils itself as surrender - total and complete giving into God’s good plans for me.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.”
This current stage of life has become full of joy and unspeakable delights. And it’s not because health issues suddenly disappeared or our financial situation dramatically improved. It’s not because we finally found our dream careers or our life’s mission field. I’m convinced it’s only because my dear man and I have (finally) surrendered our goals to His, exchanged our plans for God’s, and put away our idols to embrace trust in Him alone.
Don’t misunderstand, we’re still completely human with flaws and weaknesses. We can slump into worry or doubt and fear just like you. However the great exchange of dropping what we want for ourselves and letting God have His way in us has created a closeness to God, our Father, that I’ve always craved from a distance.
Looking back over the pages of our recent history - a decade plus, I can see His fingerprints and experience His loving guidance. As a good Father sometimes does, He let us get to the end of our own schemes and devices together so that together we would look up and ask for help. It’s not like we were prodigals. It’s more like we were the oldest brother.
“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in.
His father came out and entreated him, And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’””
Once we chose to receive from the Father our true identity as a son and a daughter, which has been ours since we first believed, we were able to fully step into the celebration feast with full and contented hearts to enjoy the party God’s way. We began to recognize how dearly loved we’ve always been and just how fully satisfied we could have always lived. Saying yes to our Father’s invitation to abundant life meant trusting His heart even when He asked us to take a huge leap of faith.
Life can feel at times, for all of us, like a dead end. There are seasons when we’re sure we somehow made too much of a mess or we turned left when we should have turned right. But God always shows up in our surrender with plans we’re not powerful enough to ruin. For He is the way, the truth and the life for which we’ve always longed.
I truly have not had the words to even share with anyone how this all happened for us. All I know is that it has to be God moving toward us, and we haven’t run away this time. We’ve remained in Him and wanted to stay close to God together.
Gratefully, a dear friend shared with me recently something of her own story. Her words regarding her reinvigorated relationship with Jesus, her love and contentment tanks becoming fully satisfied in Him have communicated the message for which my words fail. Thank you, friend, for letting me borrow your words.
This beautiful notion that if I am full and I do mean F U L L of the love, the presence (of God) and my daily bread....if I am FULL I am my best version and most suited to BE __________.
If I sense His love, if I have His love-words to chew on, if I have eaten and indulged in His words and revelations, if a portion of importance is resting on a part of me...and it's causing me to walk with an awareness...I am secure, content and at rest. If my most basic needs are met, and met deeply, I can turn my attentions away from my needs, and I can remove the expectation or demand for ___________ to meet them.
Dear Shiney Reader, I’ve read and heard that the safest place I could ever be is in the center of God’s will. A multitude of times, I’ve tried to digest that idea as sheer responsibility and obedience as an oldest daughter. The delight and joy of it never seeped into my bones or nestled into my heart with contentment until recently.
And so, my prayer for you is that you surrender to the Father, whoever you are in your false identity. The prodigal - come home and nestle. The older brother/sister - receive the treasure of His love and acceptance. I pray you become so fully satisfied in His love, His provision and His presence with you that your cup runs over for spilling onto others.
I pray that in your full surrender of your life and ways, you will find contentment with God’s good plans for you. I pray you walk the rest of your days in abundant life.
Eyes on Jesus and Shine,
Lisa
