“Be an active member of a church by 1/4/04”

So says the 1^st line item one the 1^st page of the Goal Planning section in my Franklin Planner.

Here’s what follows on that same page. I have kept this page as a testament and reminder to myself that…

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

On the Goal Planning sheet in my planner I listed the following:

Visit churches

Join a church

Regularly attend bible study

Attend new members classes (if available)

Research ministries

Select a ministry

Join the ministry

As a linear, A type, Covey-ite, I put EVERYTHING in my planner. I had a plan for how to achieve excellence on the job, a plan for how to obtain guardianship of my sister, a plan for purchasing a home, and plans and plans and more plans!

So putting my relationship with God in the plan was a no brainer. God, I’ll add you to my plan. My thought process was “there is a strategic way to be a Christian and I will just follow the steps.” You see, this plan was written just after I had given my life to Christ. As a babe in Christ, not growing up in church, not knowing the ways of church, not knowing that God desired a relationship with me, I just fell into what I knew and that was sequential thinking. Not only did God wire me to be an orderly sequential person, because of a childhood devoid of control, I became uuber controlling to ensure that my life would have structure and order, God included. Thus, building my faith was dictated by a plan. Not only a plan but MY plan. Again that babe in Christ had no clue about how God really works.

I didn’t know:

~His ways were not my way and His thoughts not my thoughts

~My heart was in His hands and He would turn it

~The steps of a good woman were ordered by the Lord

~To lean not to my own understanding but in all my ways to acknowledge Him and He would direct my path

I simply didn’t know. But glory be to God that just a few months after writing this plan, I was baptized 4/20/04. After my baptism I surrendered to Him, including my plans.

Next month I celebrate 11 years of salvation. I celebrate surrendering MY PLANS over to Him. I rejoice that His ordered steps are leading me in paths of righteousness for His namesake.

My prayer when I gave my life to Christ was to free me from being controlling. I had come to learn that my need for control was a protective mechanism but with my security now in Christ, that was no longer needed. Surrendering my will for His will, my plans for His plans was a part of the release of control.

I praise Him that His plans for me are for good and not evil to give me a future and a hope; now that’s a sure fire plan that I can bank on.

He assures us that when we obey and follow His plan, we will prosper and have good success.

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:7-8

What plan(s) do you need to surrender to Him today?

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Happy to be connecting with friends today at Dance With Jesus and Five Minute Friday