Planning

“Planning is just guessing.” So begins a recent post from a homeschool mom, author, and podcaster I follow. How encouraging, right? Your best-laid plans – the ones that took you hours to create and notate and refine and rewrite and think through, yes, those plans – are just guesses. Educated guesses, to be sure. But just guesses. (It really is an encouraging post. I think. I’m pretty sure. I haven’t actually read it yet……because my plans turned out to be incorrect guesses of the length of time required for other tasks. But I’ve read enough and heard enough from her to trust that it will be.) Even the title, though, was enough to get me thinking.

As much as I may (and do) hate its accuracy, there’s quite a bit of truth to that statement. We plan according to the extent of our knowledge and expectations (realistic or otherwise) in the moment, but our knowledge is so very limited. Even when our expectations are realistic – and let’s be honest, often we’re rather unrealistic in what we expect from ourselves and others – we have no concrete knowledge of the future. We really are just guessing, and that our plans don’t always go up in smoke is truly evidence of the Lord’s mercy.

I’ve been reading through Isaiah over the last few weeks, and a portion has stuck in my head: “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:8-11, ESV) I may not have infinite knowledge, and I may not have the power to bring to fruition all my plans, but I’m thankful that the Lord is both omniscient and omnipotent…..and infinitely good as well. Though my plans may come to naught as nothing more than somewhat educated guesses, yet the Lord is good and faithful, and I can trust in what He ordains and permits.

For further reading: Psalm 33, Proverbs 19:21, Isaiah 14, Job 38-42