When a church sign makes me stop and think......

Last night I saw a great sign as I passed by a local church.  The sign read
"We plan, God's purposes prevail".  I loved it!  I was thinking about it all evening.  I realized that this was a shortened, re quote of Proverbs 19:21 shown above. 

This got me to thinking about all the times I make these great plans.  I am quite the planner.  I make lists.  I like to have things mapped out well ahead of time.  More than anything I like to have vacations planned and reserved months in advance.  Yes, I am a type A planner.  And then there was this sign...........

What a reminder.  How many times do I get irritate, perturbed, and downright angry when my plans don't materialize.  When things change or people change and the situation changes.  I confess that I have never stopped and considered that it might just be that Jesus had some other purpose that prevailed over my well thought out plans.  And truthfully, in the end, I am grateful that things did NOT go as I had planned.   I love the picture above.  Doesn't that photo bring a sigh?  I love sunsets, don't you?  I think that the reason this picture was chosen to accompany this verse is because at the end of the day, it is good to remember that God was in it all!  It was His plan and purposes that were worked out in the day.  And when we see these things in the natural world, we understand just how small we are in the big picture. 

Then I remembered seeing this picture on the internet last week.  This is called "the Hand of God Nebula".  The article said.in part about this photo.......

"....taken by Nasa’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array or NuSTAR and scientists are still trying to make sense of the nebula’s amazing shape."

 

So I will be remembering that my plans are just that...plans.  And I will also remember that Jesus has a purpose that will prevail over anything that I can try to plan.  And I will marvel at the wonder and beauty of God that is revealed in all of creation.  From the sunsets to the nebula's way out in space. 

 

Jesus, thank you for who you are.  Thank you Yahweh for your plan of creation, for breathing the Word - Jesus, and Holy Spirit for bringing it into being.  Holy Spirit, help me to hold my plans loosely and to celebrate your purposes.  Thank you for these amazing pictures.    Amen