Written by Mikayla Stroeder

Losing your dream doesn’t mean losing your hope.
Suffering doesn’t mean your kindness suffers.
And a change of plans doesn’t mean God changes.

It’s so easy to look at our circumstances when things aren’t going well, or going “right,” according to our plans, and think that God’s not with us. The temptation is to turn away from God or blame Him for our circumstances. It’s easy to question Him and ask Him why (seemingly) life isn’t going according to plan.

What’s hard is that for most of what we go through in life, we’re not consulted, and we’re not asked what we think about what God brings us to and through. We wake up in the morning, and get our hands wrapped tightly around our life, and we think we’re the ones in control.

But we’re not.

We have to acknowledge and understand – daily – that the only constant in this life is change. Every time I think I get that, and almost accept it, something comes up to make me realize just how much I don’t. It’s a continual and almost daily process of reminding myself that I’m not the one in control of my life.

So, amidst where we find ourselves in life, how can we continually let God back in after the disaster and after the disappointment? The world is full of brokenness and broken people. How do we open our hearts over and over again?

We’re able to let Him back in because He shows up in the changed plans of our lives.

Here’s what I know: sometimes God will reach down and remove you from situations that you like – situations you’re actually praying for Him to leave you in – and He’ll literally move you out of them. It’s because He knows more than we do. You can either fight His wisdom and His plans or go with them. It’s up to you.

For me, when I release my plans to the Lord and surrender my need for control, everything seems to make much more sense. But when I hold on tightly, and get too married to my plans, I miss God’s purpose.

A lot of us are in situations today that we wouldn’t choose. Isn’t that the truth? In light of where we find ourselves, we can be encouraged that it will take some of the breaking and the betrayals to get the blessing, and it will take the conflict we go through to get the calling.

Maybe you’re in a current situation where you feel like you’re being tossed around by your circumstances. But in the middle of the storm, God stands beside us, and allows us to believe that there’s a purpose in this season. We have to know that there’s a reason for what we’re going through, right? Somedays, that knowledge is what keeps me going.

He’s with us wherever we go – in the hurt and hopelessness – He’s there and He’s here, now. He’ll be there today, tomorrow, and every day. We never cry or grieve alone.

Change of plans or a plot twist – call it what you want. But let’s lean into the idea that our plans changed are part of God’s plans to change us. He knows so much more than we do.

So I yield to You and to Your careful hand, when I trust You I don’t need to understand.

Love,
Mikayla