Our family is not originally from Pennsylvania. We originally lived in upstate New York near Albany. When I was 3 years old, we moved down to Exeter Township, PA, when my dad’s job had moved. Throughout the rest of my life, we have been making that trip from PA to NY to visit relatives and friends. In fact, I am pretty sure that I knew the trip like the back of my hand by the time I was about 8 years old. If you need directions, just put me in the car and I can point you on the way to my Grandma’s house.
A few years ago, we were on the way up for a family reunion, and I had my whole family with me. I put the address in Google Maps on my phone and turned off the voice because who wants to hear that anyway, right? I usually just put the directions on so we can see the ETA, and in case there is traffic, I can be prepared to know that it might take a little longer to get there. As we were driving, we had just crossed into New Jersey, and it told me that it wanted me to get off on some random exit in just a few miles. This was strange. In all of my years, we had never taken this exit. It wasn’t even an exit that I remembered; it was that forgettable. At that moment, I had a decision to make: do I go the way I had always gone and knew it was right, or do I follow my phone and hope it is right? The problem was that because I wasn’t expecting it, I didn’t have time to double-check the address or see if there was traffic ahead. All I had time to do was either take the exit or not.
I looked at my wife and asked her what I should do. This doesn't make any sense. I am making all the excuses for why I should stay on this road that I have always traveled, but then trying to make sense of what Google Maps was saying. She told me in a very helpful way, “You are the one driving; do what you think is best.” That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear. I wanted her to decide, so if it was wrong, it wasn’t my fault we were lost or sitting in traffic.
As we got to the exit, I looked down the highway, and all the cars were still moving along perfectly with no issues. At that moment, I made up my mind. I changed my course and took the random exit. I figured that the worst-case scenario I would just turn the car around and get back on the highway if this didn’t work out. Yes, I would lose time (you know we all race the clock on ETA), but apparently, Google Maps thinks it knows a better way. I took the exit and started driving on some back roads. After about 20 minutes of driving on these backroads, we started driving parallel to the main highway that I had gotten off. That was when I saw it. There was standstill traffic for miles. As far as I could see, not a single car was moving up and down the highway. Throughout the next 30 minutes on back roads, we would come alongside the highway again, and we would just see cars sitting there. At that point, I was so relieved that I had not listened to my own directions but had listened to Google Maps.
Isn’t this how we approach our lives? All too often, I find myself making plans and working the plans and not wanting to deviate from them because this is what we decided to do. In fact, I think that it is important to say that we should plan. The problem comes into play when we hold so tightly to our plan that we don’t allow God to have His way in our lives because it does not fit our plan. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” As we plan out our lives, we must create space and ultimately surrender those plans to God. He will direct our steps even if they are not the plans that we had.
In my junior year of high school, I had a plan for my life. I planned to join the military, and I dreamed of becoming a Navy Seal. I was training and studying to figure out how to do this. One of my friend’s older brother was a Navy Seal and I had connected with him on how to be prepared for this. I had my plans and was working them out. That year at the AG district youth convention, God had a different plan. He didn’t tell me completely what that plan was, just one step. I felt that God was calling me to go on a mission trip. Now, our youth group was not doing missions trips at this time, so it came a confirmation when, after this trip, our youth group announced that we were going to go to Jamaica on a missions trip this summer. I knew that this was God.
There was a problem. The mission trip was at the exact same time as our family vacation, which had already been planned. It was not something that could be changed. I was a little upset and unsure of what to do; I felt that God had told me to go on a mission trip. Long story short, I ended up going on an adult mission trip to Namibia, Africa. I was the youngest person by over 10 years. This was not my plan. I wanted to go on a mission trip with my friends, but instead, I was with a bunch of adults. At the last minute, the leader of the trip had to have heart surgery, and my youth pastor ended up stepping into the leader role and led the trip.
On a Wednesday night in Namibia, Africa, God changed my plan. During a time of leading worship I felt God calling me to change course from the plans I had to be in the military and instead go into full time ministry. Talk about a change of plans. Proverbs 16:3 it says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” This is how we must live our lives. We plan for the future, but then we commit those plans to the Lord. I had a good mentor in my life that told me that it is always easier to steer a moving vehicle. We make a plan and work the plan. Then, we surrender it to God and allow Him to make any course corrections along the way. I think back to many moments in my life where God changed the direction of my life and I can look back and see His hand and direction all over it.
I want to encourage you to pray and surrender your plans to God. Maybe you are doing exactly what He wants you to do. Perhaps God has been speaking to you about making some small changes in your plans and He is asking you to surrender your plans to Him. Daily take your plans to Him and allow Him to have His way.