Reason #230
Something about this week. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the fact that school is back in session. Maybe it's because this is the last week of August. For some reason, this week has worn me out. I have never been so ready for Friday. Actually, I've never been so ready for a 3 day weekend. I need it!
Today started out early. Ten hours later, I was leaving the office. Another busy day. I had lunch plans with a friend this afternoon, and by the time lunch rolled around I couldn't wait to get away from the office and silence my growling stomach. My sweet friend and I enjoyed a good hour long lunch, and until I got back into my car to head to the office, I didn't realize how much I needed that time away. I felt refreshed, uplifted. And I realized how much good can come from a simple lunch with a sweet friend.
As we ate our salads, we talked about how different the town felt now that college has started back. We talked about how quickly college passes and I began to reminisce. My friend and I met 5 years ago. She was an incoming freshman and I was half way through my college career. I remember the first time I met her. We were at church and I saw this sweet girl who appeared to be new. You can always spot the incoming college freshmen. They have that surprised/shocked/overwhelmed look stuck on their faces for the first month or two of college. I distinctly remember meeting her because she has the same last name as the town she's from. Now, that is not a common thing to come across. Anyhow, we met at church and talked for a few minutes before moving along our seperate ways. This was my third year of college, the busiest of them all, and I had taken on the role as president of my sorority. Well this sweet girl, that I just happened to meet in the church parking lot, ended up rushing my sorority. Low and behold, she became my "little sis" that year. And so we spent the year together meeting once a week for chapter and prayer group. A girl with such a beautiful, gentle spirit. A girl who knew much about me, witnessed a big part of my life. A friend who stayed a friend even when time and busy schedules began to get in the way.
So life went on. I finished up my college career and was heading full force into adulthood. Along with that new transition, I lost touch with many of my college friends. The years passed by and I would occassionally think about my college friends. I would take a look at Facebook to see what they were up to, but that was pretty much it. And then last fall I deleted my Facebook. Because here's the truth, if it's on Facebook, anyone and everyone will find out. So I just decided that it would be best to protect myself and keep things as private as possible. I didn't want to deal with questions or messages or the thought of being judged. So I did away with it for the time being. Many months later, I slowly began to transition back onto Facebook in little spurts. One day, a friend request came through. There she was, my "little sis." I wrote her a message because I just wanted her to know. She has seen a side of me, had a perception of me, and I just felt like I needed to share details with her. And so I anxiously type out my little message unsure of what type of response it might illicit. But her reply was full of love, compassion, encouragement, and wisdom. Here is what she said, "I know this isn’t how you ever dreamed things would turn out, but know that it hasn’t messed up any of God’s plan for you...He is just as interested the in process of that plan as he is about the end result." And I just felt so grateful. Grateful that a friend who hadn't seen me in years still loved me so much. Grateful for a friend who speaks truth. And she was right. None of that mess ever messed up God's plan for me.
And as I sat outside tonight, enjoying a beautiful summer evening, I just marveled at what God has done for me. It's easy to look back over the past year and see so many big things, but I look back even further and I'm amazed at how He crafted and planned every detail in my life. I'm amazed at how He crossed my paths with certain people at just the right time. And I see His divinity through it all. Because God doesn't mess up. Accidents don't happen on His watch. Sure, getting to that end result is a work in progress. But God is my kind of man, a man with a plan. And I see how He planned in detail so long ago. I see how He planned a meeting between two girls in a church parking lot in August 2007. I see how He used that relationship not only for a year but how He had bigger, long-lasting plans that would come from it 5 years later. And I praise Him for what He has done. For having a plan, for never messing up, for the incredible relationships He's placed in my life, and for being interested in every little bit of this process called life.
#230 - Because His plan is never messed up.
"But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken." - Psalm 33:11
Today started out early. Ten hours later, I was leaving the office. Another busy day. I had lunch plans with a friend this afternoon, and by the time lunch rolled around I couldn't wait to get away from the office and silence my growling stomach. My sweet friend and I enjoyed a good hour long lunch, and until I got back into my car to head to the office, I didn't realize how much I needed that time away. I felt refreshed, uplifted. And I realized how much good can come from a simple lunch with a sweet friend.
As we ate our salads, we talked about how different the town felt now that college has started back. We talked about how quickly college passes and I began to reminisce. My friend and I met 5 years ago. She was an incoming freshman and I was half way through my college career. I remember the first time I met her. We were at church and I saw this sweet girl who appeared to be new. You can always spot the incoming college freshmen. They have that surprised/shocked/overwhelmed look stuck on their faces for the first month or two of college. I distinctly remember meeting her because she has the same last name as the town she's from. Now, that is not a common thing to come across. Anyhow, we met at church and talked for a few minutes before moving along our seperate ways. This was my third year of college, the busiest of them all, and I had taken on the role as president of my sorority. Well this sweet girl, that I just happened to meet in the church parking lot, ended up rushing my sorority. Low and behold, she became my "little sis" that year. And so we spent the year together meeting once a week for chapter and prayer group. A girl with such a beautiful, gentle spirit. A girl who knew much about me, witnessed a big part of my life. A friend who stayed a friend even when time and busy schedules began to get in the way.
So life went on. I finished up my college career and was heading full force into adulthood. Along with that new transition, I lost touch with many of my college friends. The years passed by and I would occassionally think about my college friends. I would take a look at Facebook to see what they were up to, but that was pretty much it. And then last fall I deleted my Facebook. Because here's the truth, if it's on Facebook, anyone and everyone will find out. So I just decided that it would be best to protect myself and keep things as private as possible. I didn't want to deal with questions or messages or the thought of being judged. So I did away with it for the time being. Many months later, I slowly began to transition back onto Facebook in little spurts. One day, a friend request came through. There she was, my "little sis." I wrote her a message because I just wanted her to know. She has seen a side of me, had a perception of me, and I just felt like I needed to share details with her. And so I anxiously type out my little message unsure of what type of response it might illicit. But her reply was full of love, compassion, encouragement, and wisdom. Here is what she said, "I know this isn’t how you ever dreamed things would turn out, but know that it hasn’t messed up any of God’s plan for you...He is just as interested the in process of that plan as he is about the end result." And I just felt so grateful. Grateful that a friend who hadn't seen me in years still loved me so much. Grateful for a friend who speaks truth. And she was right. None of that mess ever messed up God's plan for me.
And as I sat outside tonight, enjoying a beautiful summer evening, I just marveled at what God has done for me. It's easy to look back over the past year and see so many big things, but I look back even further and I'm amazed at how He crafted and planned every detail in my life. I'm amazed at how He crossed my paths with certain people at just the right time. And I see His divinity through it all. Because God doesn't mess up. Accidents don't happen on His watch. Sure, getting to that end result is a work in progress. But God is my kind of man, a man with a plan. And I see how He planned in detail so long ago. I see how He planned a meeting between two girls in a church parking lot in August 2007. I see how He used that relationship not only for a year but how He had bigger, long-lasting plans that would come from it 5 years later. And I praise Him for what He has done. For having a plan, for never messing up, for the incredible relationships He's placed in my life, and for being interested in every little bit of this process called life.
#230 - Because His plan is never messed up.
"But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken." - Psalm 33:11
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