Plans? Let go & be peaceful

Today and tomorrow wrap up our reflections on a Christmas that is festive, significant, and peaceful. It's time to be done, because it will be Christmas! Have you been planning? 

Last week we took a group from our church to the rescue mission in our city.  We distributed gifts from our church family as part of our Sock it to Me project. Tomorrow I have something special I want to share with you about that night, but today I want to give you one more encouragement for a peaceful Christmas, and it was born out of the night at the Shelter.

We started the Sock it to Me project back in November, wrote a tract to go with our setting, gathered socks weekly, and prepared the gifts with the help of many hands. We took time to pray over the packages, and on the night of distribution, we met together for important instructions and ... more prayer. Bottom line:  much PLANNING went into the project.

When we arrived at the Shelter, it was clear there was a miscommunication, and the night staff was not ready for us. Our group added to their challenges, because they already had extra large numbers to deal with in response to the cold temperatures. Our planning seemed to be overruled by the unexpected. 

Proverbs 16:9

The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. 

I am a planner, so seeing my plan go out the window and releasing control to just step back and let the Holy Spirit take over requires trust. God wants us to be faithful, hard working stewards, but ultimately, He wants us to let Him direct our steps.  Yes, plan, but trust God enough to unfold the plan His way.

The details didn't look like I had anticipated, but God's plans turned out better.

What are your Christmas plans? Do you have your heart set on your plans or on the One who directs the plans? It's not easy to release our hard earned plans (the lists, the shopping, the wrapping, the inviting, the cooking ...), but we can trust God to give us a spirit of peace when we give Him our plans.

If all goes as planned ;) .... tomorrow I'll share my final Christmas blessing for you, inspired by our night at the Shelter.  And if it doesn't go as planned .... I'm sure the Lord has something better in mind.


Love this modern version of how "changing plans" impacted those at the epi-center of Christmas.