That was not Part of the Plan -Part 1
Blog post by Angela Voorhees
I am a planner. With a family our size, we all have different jobs and gifts that keep things going. With a family singing ministry, a church ministry, and all the other intertwining individual and family aspects of our lives, this “big picture planning” has become my gift, my help to my husband, and a means of large ministry family survival.
I am thankful this gift has also been passed to my adult girls that are also now taking part in helping with this too in different areas. Many times, we choose music, plan projects, and make traveling plans six months to a year in advance. We get a big plan together and then come up with a schedule for completing the plan in time. The girls put together their goals of placing who will sing what parts, learning instrumentals, and working with kids. I work on scheduling, coordinating practices, travel, etc. We like to be prepared so that we can be a blessing in whatever we do and wherever we go.
I love to see the big-picture plan come together! This is a good thing, but what happens when, despite your best efforts, your plans fall apart? What will you do? Our response is important in three areas.
1. When the life story we have been given is not what we had in mind
2. When God changes our good plans
3. When good plans that honor God fall apart
I. When The Life Story We have been given is not what we had in mind.
(2 Timothy 2:3) Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
In life and in ministry, we develop a picture of what we think our lives should look like. No matter what story has been given to you to live out for Christ - Embrace it. Do not resent your story. Many times, our ideas are formed by looking at what we see and admire in others. We like the stories where God blesses us financially, where we have the health and strength to do things that people look up to and notice, or where a ministry we are involved with explodes with big numbers and progress. Our nature is to see only big successes as having God's blessing. It is great when this happens, but it is not the story all of us will have. That does not make you or your life calling less or unimportant. Any life or ministry that is biblical and honors God is a great one. Whether it is a small, biblical church, a mama raising her children in the Lord, being blessed to be able to give to the Lord’s work in big ways, or a large church that God has been blessed with the finances and workers to do remarkable things and see many saved. Whatever God has written for your story that wasn’t part of your plans, Live it to His glory. You never know the impact you may have on someone else that is watching you live your life for Jesus.
One of the greatest testimonies our family has had (though not what we would have chosen for ourselves) is serving God together through many trials and difficulties. I say that not bragging about us, but being thankful for what the Lord has allowed us to do and how He has used it. I have seen my husband endure health problems and burdens over the past twenty years that without God, he would not have been able to get through. In that time, he was called to preach, attended Bible college, and was led to pastor a church. He worked full-time while attending Bible College and has needed to work bi-vocationally while pastoring and raising the 7 children we have been blessed with. Through illness, pain, and going through over 25 surgeries he has faithfully preached and served the Lord. Only God could have given him the strength to come through the things he has.
While our plan and desire were for him to be able to be full-time in ministry, he has been able to lead many people to the Lord over the years in his secular work that he would have otherwise never met. We have also seen many people saved in our small church. Our children have learned to trust and serve God through difficult times. During this time, the Lord also used our burden for church music to give us a family music ministry to be part of our story. It has been a blessing to hear from people all around the country that have let us know our music has been an encouragement to them. We may not have chosen difficulty as a large part of our story, but we are thankful He did and for the way He has blessed it. His plans are always better than ours!
(Exodus 4:2) And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
(Exodus 4:17) And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
My mother once reminded me as a young woman that God asked Moses what was in his hand and had him use it to carry out his plans. She said she would regularly ask herself what had God put in her hand. Throughout my life, I have remembered to do the same. What has God put in your hand? Are you using it so He can bless it, or are you looking at and wishing you had what He put in someone else’s hand?
