By the end of August, we will have spent 6 months in quarantine. To reframe it, that’s half a year!! For that, I think we all deserve a pat on the back. For a species that wasn’t created to live in isolation, it’s been pretty amazing to see everyone putting aside their desires and doing their part to protect the greater community. Not to mention all the creative ways of connecting that have been born out of this time!
The truth remains though, that this has been a difficult time, and continues to be for all of us. Despite our greatest attempts to preserve the hope that is so desperately needed, we all still have bad days- some days worse than others. The coronavirus has effectively ended life as we know it for the time being. The bitter conclusion of “life as we knew it” also took with it our plans. Our carefully curated, delicately thought-out plans for the near and far future. For some, it may have been prom plans 4 years in the making, a moment that was supposed to comprise the perfect ending to high school. For some, it may have been long-term career plans- every decision of your life made to be a stepping stone within that “perfect” plan. For some, it may have been life plans- plans that were never meant to detail what to do in the case of suddenly losing a loved one.
When plans change, it absolutely sux. Take it from a Type A gal who hangs onto her planner for dear life (yes I still keep a physical planner with me 24/7). I’ve spent all my life making all sorts of plans to reassure myself that I’m doing this thing called life right. So when COVID-19 came in and brutally disassembled my plans A, B, C, D, etc. I was forced to rethink my entire life. I furiously questioned how it could be that I invested so much time and effort into creating and executing these plans, only to watch them all magically disappear overnight?
It is always always ALWAYS at our lowest points that we finally choose to embrace humility, to accept and embrace the fact that we really don’t have it all together. And as sad as it is, it is at our lowest points that we finally choose to acknowledge God’s presence and power. God is constantly telling us “I’m here. Chillax cuz I’ve gotta plan. Just LISTEN to what I’m telling you and you’ll be alright.” But unfortunately, if you’re anything like me, you’ll spend more time crossing things out and writing things in to your planner than you do actually listening to God’s voice. yikes.
We as humans worship our plans because we love being in control. We love being the gods of our lives. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed “spontaneous” personality type, I’ll bet you still have some typa plan up your sleeve. I’m not saying that it’s bad to make plans, but what I am saying is that if we allow our plans to lord over us, then we’re forgetting who is actually in control. If something doesn’t go as planned and you crumble faster than a Nature Valley granola bar, that is a pretty good indicator that your plans have become your god.
Whether you’re Christian or non-Christian, I think we can all agree that over the past 6 months, we’ve all seen just how fragile our plans are. Even if you’ve checked all the boxes, nothing, absolutely nothing, is for certain and no one can guarantee anything. But one thing I can guarantee is that God is still my God, and He is a GOOD God. I honestly could not tell ya why corona was in God’s plan for us, but I choose to believe everyday in the goodness and in the faithfulness of God.
As we approach a brand spanking new school year, I’m sure all our plans no longer look the same. I’m entering my senior year of college, and this is for sure not the way I pictured it to be. A lot of the “lasts” I had planned for will not come to fruition, many of my 4-year plans will never get to see the light of day. And I’m sure everyone’s change-of-plans are just as heartbreaking. But instead of choosing to dwell in that sucky-ness, instead of spending your time feeling sorry for yourself, wouldn’t it be much easier to make that choice to believe in something greater? To believe in something good?
So what comes after plans A, B, C, and yes, even plan Z? If you answered, “Nothing! The freaking alphabet ends at Z!!” you would be absolutely correct, by human definition at least. But our God isn’t human (thank GOD). He’s a God who surpasses human understanding, which means His plans for us surpasses our understanding and requires faith. Faith is a choice. And it may be a difficult choice for a lot of us, especially in this time. But now, more than ever, it is a choice that inspires hope, and hope is the heartbeat of humankind. So whaddya say? ;)
If you wanna know more about this “faith” I talk about, I’m totes down to chat!
xoxo, JO