GUEST POST: MITZI NEELY
It always feels good to have goals and a plan in place to accomplish those goals. We tend to spend weeks, months or years writing and fine-tuning all the things we want to accomplish.
It’s very time-consuming deciding on a destination or end goal and mapping out just the right path to get there, only to find that somewhere in the journey it wasn’t the direction we were supposed to go.
That kind of revelation can sometimes bring us to a grinding halt. And then we find ourselves wondering, ‘Now what? Lord, what do you mean that’s not the direction you intended me to go?’ After all, my plan was going so well.
Like many of you I’ve been that person. I’ve had to change direction in the middle of something small and I’ve had to change direction in the midst of something of huge proportions. Are the lessons the same? For the most part they are. Are the gamut of emotions involved the same? Absolutely not.
Some of the journeys we have traveled have been long and arduous and planned to a tee. Some of the journeys have been short field trips; the kind that were easy to adjust and we could change course in an instant. But regardless of what the goals or destinations were I’ve always made a point to rely on Him for His will to be done. Psalm 37:23 tells us, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm.”
Isn’t it reassuring to know that Jesus knows something we don’t? He knows what’s ahead and what’s changed that He no longer wants us to be a part of. Things could be rocking along fine for us and in the words of author, Suzanne Eller, in The Mended Heart, ‘Jesus can stop us with a blazing light of glory and a voice of thunder because He knows something we do not.’
Of course it’s exciting when we pray through a series of journeys and find the open doors and the pathways have been made smooth for us to move through. The challenging part is when we realize we’ve almost reached our destination only to find the door has been firmly closed on us.
That’s the time to re-evaluate our plan and our goals. That’s the time when we find ourselves at a crossroads and we either decide we are flexible enough to make the minor adjustment or totally change our thought process to a full-blown u-turn.
It is so important for us to have intimate conversations with our Heavenly Father. And it’s essential to hear God’s clear directions in the middle of our selfish prayers wanting what we want. His word tells us in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”
It’s difficult to understand why our journey has been re-routed. But it is comforting to know that God wants His very best for us. Why would we get in the way of His best?
We don’t always understand the big picture and we certainly don’t understand the reasoning behind the twists and turns of life. But one thing we can be certain of is our ‘God wants us to pursue and embrace things of great worth, rather than those that hold little value.’ (Suzanne Eller, The Mended Heart)
Even though I struggle to understand all that He has for me, I know without a doubt He has my absolute best at heart. That makes me smile all over. And it reminds me how much better I handle things when I have perspective and peace about the situation.
I’ll be praying for you.
Mitzi
This post was written by Mitzi Neely. Mitzi is an inspiring motivational speaker, a gifted soloist, an accomplished seamstress, and a dedicated career educator. She encourages women of all ages through her experiences and shortcomings. She has been blessed with a passion and love for people that stretches across the generations. Her heart is to lighten your load, while conveying her message that nobody’s perfect. So often God places certain people in your life at just the right moment; whether the reason is to help teach you, help you grow in your walk with Him, or to simply love and lift up others. Whatever your struggle or need, you will find encouragement through her words. Follow Mitzi at peacefullyimperfect.net because the joy of the journey is learning His word together.