Have you ever tried to map out your life? You say things like, “In five years I’ll be here, in ten I’ll be doing this, and in 40 I’ll retire in this state and…” I’ve heard before that it’s great to have a five and ten year plan – decide what you want to achieve and go for it! I seem to have problems accomplishing this though. I can’t seem to make the next six months go as planned, much less five years.

Five years ago, I never dreamed I would uproot and move nine hundred miles away from the only community I’ve ever known. I had no idea I would still be here, three years later. I never planned on landing an incredible job and developing amazing friendships. In college, becoming a writer wasn’t even on the radar. It didn’t even materialize as a dream until a couple years ago. And I definitely never imagined that a little Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound pup would completely capture my heart.

As it turns out, God has this way of taking us on a journey that contains a lot of different twists. For my husband and I, it’s almost as if God refuses to let us get into a mentality of “settling”. Sometimes it’s physical, like when he uprooted and moved us to Colorado, but often times it’s internal or relational. I think he never wants us get so comfortable that we stop bending our ear towards heaven. He never wants us to stop looking to him for provision and guidance.

I think he also likes to test our faith to see if we are still paying attention. Every time Luke and I have felt like we were ready to put on the breaks and settle in, he packs our bags and shoves us back out the door. No maps or clues are given as to the destination, but simply a walkie-talkie and a promise that he goes before us, and he will provide. I’ve had to stop telling people what our life plan is, even a year out, because the moment I start to settle in, it changes. I’ve learned to respect God’s plan for my life, and that his twists, turns, and surprises are the best kind.

The moral of the story is this: let God direct your path, and trust him with the journey. Honestly, it’s a lot more fun that way. Sure, make plans to pay off debt, get married, be healthy, etc. But don’t get too caught up in what’s going to happen a year from now. God has a heck of a story for you. I’m learning to give up trying to control it and simply enjoy the ride, because so far in my life, he’s taken me on a journey I would never dream of trading.

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” Proverbs: 16:9

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23