I'm His...Right Now and Always

My boys left town today. They went to Michigan on a youth retreat. And my youngest was also gone last night for a school field trip. This past week has been a bit busy, but a good busy. So I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend. I’ll miss the boys terribly, but they’ll be home on Monday before I know it.

Over the last week, as I thought about them leaving, I had intended to leave town myself. I thought I’d take off to visit friends and get away. My thoughts turned to life without the boys. One will graduate in May and the second in 3 1/2 short years. I also drifted to thoughts about retirement and God’s plan for me at all these new stages in my life. Then it hit me!

I have trouble even visualizing those normal worldly stages that are typical for us to carve into our lives. I realized that my strategy for life will be no different in the future then it is now. I live for God’s plan, not mine. I don't plan to do something different when the boys are out of the house or when I retire. As long as I’m still on this earth, I’m just working for Jesus. He can guide me where He wants. I'm not going to break my life into compartments and then ask Him to work His will into my chunks of time...just the opposite. I'll let Him set my life’s plan and then try to be obedient where ever that leads.

Boy, what a wonderful peace there is in realizing that my world no longer operates the way I always thought it should. I don’t have to keep working toward worldly goals that I have been conditioned to believe is the proper way to plan. I get to just show up each day and let my Savior guide me according to what He has in store.

That doesn’t mean I’m not prudent with my time, money and priorities. I still try to stay out debt, spend wisely, give generously and love unconditionally. But I don’t sweat over today where I think I’ll be tomorrow or 20 years from now. What peace; what joy; what satisfaction in knowing that God’s Spirit is embedded deep within me and helps me truly live for eternity!

The Lord reminds us in Psalm 127:1 that our work outside of His plan is all labor in vain anyway. “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”