Our Unplanned Plans
Planning out our day is an important part of life. Having a start time for your shift at work, or making the 9am service at church on Sunday. What time do you need to be in the deer stand? What happens when things come up and complicate our plans, or worse, completely ruin them?
When plans go awry, it is easy to let yourself feel beat on when life is hard to navigate, or hunting season may be lasting longer than you planned. All too often life happens and our plans are derailed. We become stressed out, overwhelmed, and frustrated. Nothing seems to go our way. It is in these moments that we must remember Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”.
Paige Gersper buck she lost
Even when plans go the way we think they will, like that target buck comes in on a string. You take the shot, and the video playback looks perfect! The buck makes it farther than you would have thought, and you can’t find the deer. Or you rush the shot in excitement, hit a twig that alters the trajectory of your arrow. The hit is less than desirable. If you are a hunter and say this hasn’t happened to you, you are either being dishonest, or you do not hunt enough.
We all seem to think that we know what is best for ourselves. The truth is, that we all make poor decisions from time to time. Choosing to take that hunting trip and leaving your wife behind to hold down the fort without consulting her first may land you in the dog house for instance. Beyond that, when we make our plans, it is impossible for us to know what events may hinder them. We try to plan for weather and traffic on our commute to work, school, or even hunting. Sometimes we can’t plan for everything, like that lake effect snow storm, or a car on the shoulder with the 4-ways on, and rubberneckers causing bumper to bumper traffic for a 3-hour stretch. Is that really a bad thing?
Just because things happen that are unplanned by us, are they really unplanned? Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” So, these plans that the Lord has may place us in traffic to avoid an accident. Lay us off from our job to allow us to pursue our passion, or a dream job. We may not find that buck we shot, to give the opportunity harvest a better buck, or a deer that provides a better story with greater memories with our child. In turn making it more meaningful, even though we may not realize it right away. Pray for the clarity and courage to see you through the downs of life, and even through the good times.
Remember to send prayer requests or inquiries to have us speak at your events to the email addresses below.
Until next time, God bless!
Evan Gersper