I’m a Planner

I am a planner – I like to plan my day, my week and well – I’d plan out my entire year if I could! lol!  Are you a planner?  I must admit that I was troubled when I read James 4:15 which says –  “you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”  James says to make plans and boast about them is evil!

I remember taking my kids on a  penny walk in our old neighborhood. A penny walk is when you go for a walk with a penny and at each corner you allow the children to flip a penny – if it’s heads you turn right, if it’s tails you turn left.  Typically we always go on the same path. We are creatures of habit so once we find a way that is comfortable we rarely shift from our comfort zone.

I must admit that the penny walk made me uncomfortable at times. It made me turn and head too far from home when I was tired, it took us past a house I avoid with BIG dogs, it made us go in a a circle one time – which was funny and then the worst thing happened! My son lost his penny!  (seriously why do these things happen? lol!) He had a hard time rebounding from his loss and spent the last few minutes of the penny walk crying. What could be worse than losing your penny on a penny walk???

God is my penny.

Although I do believe that God wants me to be organized and wise about how I spend my day – and that requires planning – he does not want me to be so inflexible with my plan, that I do not seek Him and as a result step out of his will for my life. God is my penny – he wants me to ask him – which way do I go Lord? What should I do next? And then he wants me to put my trust in him and follow him.

About 5 years ago, I was in my comfort zone. I had two sweet peas and a husband with a good job. I had the next 5 years of my life planned out – then God brought along a job change for my husband that took me WAY outside my comfort zone. At every turn, my husband and I have sought God – is this the way we should go? God faithfully answered. At the next turn, again we would seek God – now which way do we go? Again, God faithfully answered. Sometimes – like the penny walk – God took us on unknown paths, he took us on paths way outside our comfort zone, he took us on scary paths, and sometimes it felt like we were just spinning in circles going no where at all! But we certainly have not lost our penny!!! And as the penny says right on it “In God We Trust“.

Today’s video was first played over on GoodMorningGirls.org and it is titled My Will Vs. God’s Will:

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

If you are at a crossroads today – please don’t go forward without first seeking God. Wait on him to give you direction – and then go forward in peace. When you are walking with God daily – you will know his voice. Draw near to God – be still – listen – what is it that he is trying to tell you? Even if it takes you way outside your comfort zone – go now and obey. In God We Trust.

Walk with the King!

This post is linked to We Are That Family, Titus 2sdays, A Holy Experience and Raising Homemakers.

24 Comments

  1. My father repeated those verses so many times when I was a child (usually in answer to "Where will we go for summer vacation, Daddy?") that I actually have a HARD time making plans now! lol

    My husband and I are currently in the midst of a crossroads. We are seeking His direction and being mindful every day that He knows the plans He has for us. Not always easy or comfortable (as you well know!) but so much better than stepping out on our own without Him! Thanks for the encouraging reminder!

  2. That's deep! So true that life is like a penny walk. Most of the time you literally don't know what's next until you reach the end of the previous thing. I kind of feel like we've been on the "going in circles" penny walk lately! Btw, I'd never heard of such a thing…I will have to try that sometime with my little ones. Blessings! 🙂

  3. Thank you for posting this Courtney. 🙂 I really needed to hear this today! Thank you for the video as well. It really put things all together and the way you speak/spoke and shared things clicked for me. Now for me to just remember and apply this counsel! 😀
    Have a great day! 🙂

  4. This is very encouraging. I think I'm going to take my kidlets on a penny walk today and talk to them about God being like the penny.

  5. wow. i really needed to hear this today. thank you so much!! i never really thought about it like that but it's so true. thank you!

  6. Courtney you always have such a fresh way of putting things across. Even though I did the James study with GMG and saw this video before.. it just took on whole new meaning for me.

    Thank you!

  7. Thank you sis I too am a huge PLANNER so hearing this is a reminder NOT to forget man can make our plans yet MUST be willing to be ready for change at any time as God does the final directing of our paths and thank goodness HE does sometimes my plans are NOT always the best for myself nor family!! Thanks great post today!

  8. This was just what I needed today. I, too, am a planner. But God surprised us by opening a door and a short time later he closed the door. I can't pretend to understand why, but it's a good reminder to me that I am not in control and that I may as well stop trying to act like I am!

  9. I needed this. Thanks! We recently moved AND I started transitioning home around the same time, so the several months have felt like one giant leap of faith.

  10. I loved this post! I have been wanting to move so badly and your/his words calmed me down. I think he wants you blogging, lol! I love getting my morning cup of coffee and listening to your scripture and life posts!! They do make people feel better and learn even more about the word:) You do a great job at this.

  11. What a great post! I'm a planner too and being married to a total anti-planner (and his whole family of anti-planners!) has brought me waaaay out of my comfort zone. So often, when I just stop and be still and prayer for HELP, I hear God saying, "does it really matter?" And so often the answer is, NO.

    Our pastor always says, "let go and let God."

  12. This was a good reminder. It's easy for me to grow impatient. I find myself saying, "Ok now what? Now what? What's next?" When I need to just trust that the Lord will, in fact, prompt my Spirit. He will move me. I can trust that. He doesn't need me to nag him with constant prattle of "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" I am reminded of Isaiah 30:21 "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." Thanks for this post. It was a wonderful, wonderful reminder!

  13. It’s a simple but inspiring blog. I leant a lot from it. The main thing is simplicity and purity

  14. Oh boy. I am a planner too, so I totally relate to what you're saying. But "God is my penny." What a great analogy. Thanks for sharing your story.

  15. I am an organization guru – you have to be when you have 5 kids. 3 years ago, God started moving us out of our comfort zone. It was a doozy – Right now we are on that penny walk. I don't know what will be happening next year or in 5 years – but I am faithful that God is the planner – and that is more than enough for me!

    However, I will NEVER be a person who says, "Let's just jump in the car and just go where the wind blows(for vacations)." I can do that for life but not for vacations:)

    I love your penny walk – and I love how your story spoke to my story!

    Be blessed!

  16. I am not a planner. In fact, I find planning stressful and difficult. When I do try to, out of a sense of obligation and responsibility (which I have a hard time manufacturing so take any shred of healthy guilt I can muster), I inevitably get frustrated. Then I blame the planning and say I got frustrated because it was ‘The Plan’s’ fault. If I had no plan I wouldn’t be upset when my expectations of time usage weren’t met! At the same time I struggle to be dilligent and hardworking in my home and to not let my days get run over by the tyranny of the urgent, or by mis-directed busy-bodies attempting to force me into their moulds. I think your penny approach is a good one – and strengthens the faith muscle that we all need – no matter if our faith is small or great. The penny concept brings God into every aspect of our days, planned or not.

  17. please inform how I can watch the video series on the James study. All the videos say private and I must sign in to watch them. Thank you!

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