Being Part of the Plan

We’ve all wondered somewhere along the way, if there’s a place we fit in. There have been times we’ve all felt awkward or clumsy, embarrassed or uncomfortable. It’s life. If every situation we were placed into was perfect, we’d never grow to appreciate our lives.

Learning to maneuver through the rough waters helps make us strong, confident, and grateful. I once knew a man who, as intelligent as he was, never understood the concept of “working his way up.” Any situation he went into he expected to be in the top dog position, and if that didn’t happen then it was always someone else’s fault he failed. He was never grateful for what he had. He refused to work and learn from those with greater skills, therefore he never succeeded.

When God made us, he must have fingered through all the attributes He kept in his “personality files,” picking out the perfect design He wanted for us. He knew in advance what color hair we’d have, how tall we’d be, and whether we’d have blue or brown eyes. He equipped us with everything we’d need to face what life might throw our way.

His hopes must have been that we’d snuggle into His arms and allow Him to show us the way through the muddle. However, somewhere along the line, God offered us that little attribute called “free will.” He wants us to love Him because we want to love Him – not because He forces us. He wants to grow us into the best relationship we can share with Him.

Isaiah 60:21 tells us, “…They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands for the display of my splendor.” In all of His wisdom, God created us knowing full well some of us would love Him and others would not.

So where do we fit in? Why allow us to suffer through the rough things? Why not make our lives perfect from the beginning? He did once. Now He chips away at us if we were pieces of marble waiting to be shaped. One indention after another, brushing each mark into perfection – after all, anything worth having is worth working to attain.

The rough times come so we might eventually be buffed smooth. We will eventually fit perfectly into the life God wants us to have if we are willing. Remember, He is the potter and we are the clay.

Prayer: Lord, when things are hard and I can’t understand why, smooth away the sharp edges that I might be pleasing to You.