When Hope Came Down ~ Kari Jobe
The mind of man
plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. ~ Proverbs 16:9 NASB
The YMCA pool schedule showed that the indoor waterslide
would be open Saturday night. Our girls love the waterslide! After dinner,
we'd take the girls to the pool and invite someone to meet us there. It was all
settled. But by the time we'd arrived at the Y, things weren't working out as
planned. One person wasn't feeling like swimming and another didn't bring their
swimsuit. My perfect plan was falling apart. How can we make this all come together?
And then I saw it: a sign. Many people ask for a sign
from God. He sent me a 4'x3' easel that said "Family Night. Members
Free." As the others in our group discussed what fun and low-cost things
we could do, I asked the lady at check-in what activities at Family Night would
be age-appropriate for my girls. Of the things she listed, ice skating and bounce house
grabbed my attention. I proposed my idea to our group and we decided to go ice
skating and then head to the bounce house. We had a FANTASTIC TIME! I'm
not sure who had the most fun. There were 10-gallon buckets to support the
weight of the little kids. They were too short for Savannah, who opted to cling
to the wall, but Elizabeth was a speed-racer with those buckets. I surprised
myself by, not only remaining on my feet but also, really enjoying myself. We
had the greatest time! We even got to ice skate and have our picture taken with
Santa.
Later at home, I realized that even when my plans fail,
God never does. And just maybe He allowed my plans to falter because His plans
are far better than what I could have imagined. It's not that God is hiding
something from me. Rather, He's teaching me to trust Him, and His plans,
regardless of the circumstances. I did, however, appreciate and find the humor
in how He used our pastor's message at Christmas Eve service to reiterate His
point.
Today, as we celebrate Christmas, regardless of the plans
we've made, don't let the burned rolls, under-cooked pies, or even the fact
that the kids are more interested in the boxes than the expensive toys get you
down or flustered. Instead, remember to take it all in and enjoy the moments
you have with those who are near and dear.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
©Heather
Potts 2017