IT WAS ALL GOD!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

   Sometimes we feel like we are stumbling aimlessly around in a mess of a world. No matter where we look we see chaos, trouble, and sin.  Our lives can seem like there is no plan. No meaning. No blueprint, if you will. But when we take a step back and look deeply at our lives, we can see God. We see things that happened in our past that has got us to where we are today. Things that we can say God did that. Not I, Not them, Not my job, but God did that.

I was thinking about this yesterday. How different my life has been in the last year. I even questioned myself. How did I end up here today? So I started thinking back, all the things that led me here...

    Christmas about 8 years ago, We had spent it with My husbands family in Wyoming. We lived in Strasburg at the time and traveled through a little town called Hudson on our way  home. As we drove through we both said at the same time, "this is a cute little town, wouldn't mind living here some day" LOL.
    We started looking to buy a house shortly after that. We looked all over our area. We simply couldn't afford anything close to us. I searched the internet for the cute little town we once drove through. BOOM we bought a house. We couldn't believe how fast it went. We had been looked for a house for 3 years. Every house that we tried to buy didn't go through. God led us to that cute little town.
    We started searching for a church. We became the "church hoppers" that so many people become. We jumped from church to church to church. Every single one of them we found a problem with. "The building is to old" "I don't like the parking lot here" some pretty lame excuses. Then one day we saw a billboard on I-76 that read something like this. "Boycott the Orchard Church.-Satan" We thought it was funny. A few days latter our local news aired the same billboard. We decided to try that church. We where running out of places to try. LOL. So we went a few times. We didn't really apply ourselves. Sleeping in on Sunday morning just seemed so much more important. I had signed up for Discipleship through the Orchard. Two years went by and I was never connected to anyone at the church. We quit going all together. ( I might add that our lives where messed up. I faced depression pretty bad)
    One day out of the blue, I received an email from a lady I didn't even know, telling me that she has been assigned to Disciple me through the Orchard church. I had completely forgotten all about it. It took me a few minutes to even remember the church. So I called her and we set up a date to meet for dinner and get to know each other. I so almost called it all off, but I went.
     I came home in tears. I told my husband that I didn't expect him to lead us spiritualy (he wasn't a Christian) But I did expect support in raising our kids in God's word. We went to church that very next Sunday and have been going every Sunday since. Our lives have changed dramatically in the last year. Both my oldest son and my husband are now saved. Both my oldest son and I are now baptized. Every area of our lives is so different, so new. It is like a whirlwind of God came through and completely removed our old lives. Turned us inside out and upside down, and washed us clean. I no long suffer from depression. Praise God! My marriage is back on track and I found my best friend again. He was never lost, but I was, Through my depression we drifted apart a bit. I can't express enough how wonderful our lives have been since we put God first.
    So I guess my whole reason for telling you all this, is that God has a plan for us. We couldn't buy the house where we wanted to. It wasn't by accident. We didn't move here by accident. We didn't find the church by accident. We didn't plan the timing or places. IT WAS ALL GOD!
 He has plans for each of us. Even through our struggles. He doesn't plan to hurt us, He plans to make us better for His glory, for His kingdom. He has plans for our future.
Stop and think, what has He done in your life that no one other than Him can take the credit for? I bet you will be amazed.
Father, I  am so very grateful for the plans that You have for my life. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for You. You are so amazing, so loving, so wonderful. I am always in complete awe of You. I pray Father, that You will show those who are reading this, that You have a plan in their life. A plan to prosper them and not harm them. A plan to build them and not bring them down. A plan to use them to perfect Your kingdom. A plan to bring glory to Your name. I pray Father, that they will open their heart to You so that Your plan will be accomplished in them.
I pray Your will Father, In Jesus name, Amen
With God's Love,
Christian