Making a Plan

Scattered all over the table and spilling onto the floor, our gear for tomorrow’s backpacking adventure filled our dining room. Afraid we would forget something essential, we checked our list meticulously. Hiking gear, food, fuel, first aid, rain gear, cook stove, tents – all accounted for. 

Earlier with our friends, we had selected the date, the trail, the campsites, the meals, and the timing. The details were all set. How could anything possibly go wrong?

And yet, the water source we intended to use was not where the map said it would be. Heavy backpacks hurt shoulders, and boots rubbed blisters on our feet. And despite all the preparation, the unpredictable weather brought challenges for which no list could prepare us. 

We never could have accounted for the new challenges, lasting memories, and invaluable lessons this adventure would provide. 

I was reminded that no matter how much we plan out our days (or hiking adventures), God is the one who ultimately decides what will happen. That does not mean that our careful planning is futile – in fact, it’s necessary, like having the right fuel and food for the journey. But it does mean that we need to hold our plans loosely with a spirit of humility, putting our trust in God’s plan instead of our own.

As He spoke through the prophet Isaiah:

Surely as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.

Isaiah 14:24

I don’t know about you, but I find comfort knowing that this adventure called life doesn’t rely solely on my planning and preparation. Instead, when we surrender our plans for God’s, we can walk securely in His will and His purpose and know that in His plans all things are always accounted for.