Today I was talking with my daughter-in-law’s mother as we both await the birth of our new granddaughter. We talked about circumstances beyond our control. She said something that really touched me, “Life happens while we are making plans.” Isn’t that the truth? When I got married, I PLANNED on living a long, happy relationship and growing old with my husband. I did not anticipate a divorce. I PLANNED on going to school and becoming a nurse. Instead I had children and spent as much time as I could raising them. I PLANNED on living a financially comfortable life. However, the career I mostly chose was working for a church. I made just enough to get by as I needed. Since then, I sold almost all of what I owned to be with my parents and care for them. So, yes, Life happens while we are making plans. I learned that God has His own plans for my life. Through prayer and talking with people full of wisdom, I try to follow His path. Even though it may not be what I PLANNED for, I have found incredible blessings, peace, and joy. I have learned a lot by being on my own and have grown so much as an individual by doing some serious soul searching through the divorce. I am blessed to have been able to spend so much time with my kids when they were younger and would like to think that it benefited them as well. It is truly a blessing to be with my parents and help them. They have given all of themselves to my siblings and me for years. They deserve to be well cared for at this stage and I hope that I am able to do that. It is a joy to get to know them in a different way. While I don’t own much, I have everything I need. Finally, through my job in the church, I made lifelong friends. But more importantly, my relationship with God elevated to a level I didn’t even know was possible. I realized how much He loves me and all His children. I learned to lean on Him, to trust Him, to love Him and others. He changed my heart. I still try to make plans, but more easily accept when things don’t work out exactly as I would have planned.

I Found God today in remembering that if my plans don’t work out, God blesses the outcome if I trust in Him and follow His plan.