Have you ever made plans, only to have them literally fall apart before your tear-filled eyes with nothing going right? I know a have. After the implosion of regrets was over, as I picked up the broken pieces of ‘whys’, it hit me; what or whom did I rely on?
What could I have done
differently? It didn’t take too many
disappointing incidents to figure out when I include God in the planning
stages, things have a way of working out.
This applies to all areas of one’s life.
The Lord loves us dearly and
wants to be involved in every area that concerns us! He promotes the perfect plan. With this acknowledgment, it is now fun to plan
events.
Planning vacations, an ocean
cruise, or surprise parties for friends and loved ones is always exciting. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the
endearing joy of planning a wedding, especially when it’s your own.
The days leading up to my
marriage to the most incredible woman that God blessed me with, there was a lot
of planning that was challenging and tense at the same time. I won’t minimize the anxiety level that we
faced when trying to get all our ducks in line, as it were, to plan everything…food,
flowers, cake, groomsmen and bridal party, tuxes and matching dresses, and most
importantly, the bridal gown.
Securing a venue for the
reception worked out perfectly. God
calmed our minds and made everything come together. The church leadership allowed us to use the
large, multipurpose room and didn’t charge us.
It was perfect. I will quote Mr.
T in the 1982 movie Rocky III: “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Finding an apartment was quite
an adventure. Hand delivering the
information needed by the apartment manager before someone else jumped in ahead
of us to secure the apartment for themselves was interesting, to say the least. It was all in God’s hands.
The supply and demand ratio of apartment seekers vs. the limited availability of apartments was an eye-opening
shocker, but God worked it all out. I
should not have stressed, knowing that God was in control and instrumental in
working out His perfect plan for us.
The Lord does not do things
halfway; everything has a way of falling into place. He helped us find favor with everyone we
dealt with. What can I say? God is good!
The manager held the apartment for us, and it was perfect in every way. We loved it!
Planning for the pastor of her
church and the pastor of my church to officiate our wedding on the same day
took some coordinating, but God, again, worked out every detail, because His
plan was perfect concerning my bride-to-be and me.
During all the planning, my
fiancé and I went to the courthouse in Martinez, California to obtain our
marriage license. I lovingly looked at
her as we stood in line and she was pale as a ghost. I quietly asked if everything was okay, and
she assured me that all was well, and that it couldn’t be better.
Later, she shared that the
realization of marriage and the grave responsibility of becoming a partner for
life flooded in on her. Although a
smidgen of fear creeped in briefly, she had full confidence that God’s plan was
coming together and that everything was working out in grand fashion, according
to His will.
It is probably natural for
couples that are embarking on a serious venture together in marriage that in
the days leading up to any marriage they may experience unsettled emotions deep
within their psyche, causing questions to arise. A lifelong commitment is a lot for anyone to
process.
I was sure that this was God’s
plan concerning me. My companion also
believed that our unity was God’s plan for her and me. I was ready for marriage as she was even
though we had been dating for only three months, plus three months engagement.
Some people said, “Long
engagements are better.” But she and I
were the ones saying, “I do.” We were
ready. No doubt, with some couples, a
longer engagement is best, because a short engagement can generate stress. It is better to know for sure before tying the
knot. Time provides safeguards against
making life-changing decisions too quickly.
We were both excited and ready to take the next step, together.
Backtracking a bit, allow me
to give you a little history. The future
Mrs. Boyd was thirteen when she saw me for the first time when I sang with a
Christian quartet at an “Eye Rally” in the City of Walnut Creek,
California. The gathering was a David
Wilkerson sponsorship for youth.
I was seventeen at the time,
four years older than her. She was
certainly too young for me, but little did I know what was around the corner.
Almost a decade later, I met
this girl, because the organist in her church, who knew me, gave me her
telephone number. That teenybopper was
now Twenty-one years old. I called her
and we talked for Forty-five minutes. I was
drawn to her on the phone, never having seen her. There was just something there! We had a lot in common. It was God!
After dating for a while, she
told me that she had eyes for me back when she saw me that first time. How sweet is that!?
Who knew in nine years that I
would marry this girl? Oh wait, God
did! He had the perfect plan for both
her and me. It just took time for
everything to fall into place prior to us meeting. As God’s plan unveiled itself through the
years, the Lord directed both our paths and in His perfect timing, we met, fell
in love, and were married. She was
Twenty-two and I was Twenty-six.
Our marriage together has been
a wonderful partnership, because God’s plan was perfect from the beginning
regarding her life and mine. I believe we
were created for each other. When God
does something, He does it right, because of His unfailing love.
My advice to anyone looking
for romance, or a mate, or needs confirmation and assurances that they are
heading in the right direction is this: most importantly, be patient and DO NOT
get in a hurry. DO NOT branch out into
unfamiliar waters to deviate from God’s plan.
DO NOT get ahead of Him by doing your own thing, lest you are filled
with remorse later.
Follow God’s direction,
faithfully, because the Lord has a perfect plan for those that trust in His
providence. We MUST allow God time to
work out the details of His plan.
For sure, giving our life to
God is a step of faith. It takes courage
and absolute trust to not take destiny out of God’s hands to pursue our will. It is much better to wait a little longer
than to make a mistake, an irrational move, and regret the decisions made. Our adage should be, “Not my will, but Thine
be done.”
I am told that patience or perseverance
are vital when making decisions. We all
need to practice this concept, because humans are prone to be impatient and
move too quickly, because we want it now!
God may have a five-dollar watch, figuratively speaking, but He is never
late; He is always on time.
If you are concerned what lies
ahead and the things that tomorrow holds around the corner awaiting to be
revealed, the moment you give your all to Jesus, your heart will be filled with
perfect peace. He will bring His plan into focus and fulfill the perfect plan in
His time. Allow Him to direct you in the
way that is right.
‘The Perfect Plan’ is His
delight, because He delights in you and me.
(Jeremiah 29:11), “For I
know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and
not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
(Psalm 37:23), “The steps
of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”
www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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