Plans for {in}dependence day

july 4

 

I love the quiet of the morning.

Sitting in the comfy chair wrapped in a blanket, holding a steamy cup of joe between both hands, breathing in its full bodied aroma. The others in my house still sleep, yet outside my window, birds gather and flit. They do not know that it is a holiday.  They simply wake and go about their business. The busyness that God has given them to do, every day of their lives.

But I cannot linger long in this place, for we have plans.

Dry bags are packed, lunches prepared, snacks and extra clothing arranged in the car, and kayaks strapped to the roof, like cherries on the top of a cupcake.

We have plans.

I hear stirring above my head, soft footsteps from my people, and I sigh because the quiet of my morning has come to an end -  we have plans.

Planning is a big part of life here on planet earth. We plan for the day, the week, the year – the future. Most of what we do is in preparation of what is to come next instead of simply living in the now of God’s plan. I used to spend all of my energies worrying about how what I did today, would impact my tomorrow, and that of my family.  And these are necessary concerns, really.

But Proverbs tells us: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

See God has a plan too. A plan for each one of us. I once thought that I wanted to know what it was - my part in it anyway. But these days I am learning to simply open my hands up to what He has for me along the way. Oh, I still make plans, I just don’t hold on to them as tightly as I once did. And it isn’t always convenient when God intersects our plans either.  Sometimes it is downright uncomfortable. But it is always the best plan.

Today, as we all celebrate the freedom once hard won for our country, let’s remember another hard won freedom. The freedom Jesus gave us by His sacrifice. The freedom to choose to believe. Freedom from the control of sin. Freedom from death.

These are freedoms worth celebrating.

Today - what do you say we celebrate being {in}dependence to God? This may not sound like freedom, but God has the ultimate plan, one that is infinitely better than anything we could ever come up with. Living with open hands is a freedom that we shouldn’t refuse.

Me and my family? We have plans, but my palms are up and open. Let’s see what He has in store for us today!

May He bless your day, your family and our Nation on the day of {in}dependence!

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