“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape”

We plan; we organize, because we know that time is a precious gift. However, there is that danger of falling into a tightly scheduled plan where flexibility is no longer an asset we value. Accordingly, one will often find himself/herself frustrated when plans get thwarted by unwanted or unexpected occurrences.

But sometimes, changes to our original plan book may not be a bad thing at all. Perhaps God is leading us to love someone in need. Perhaps God has some special lessons He wants to teach us as we go through certain experiences which we least intend. Perhaps He’s teaching us how to be dependant upon Him not only in the great turns of our lives, but in every step we take.

I believe that keeping a habit of planning is good, for it helps keep one’s time manageable and disciplined. Nonetheless, I also believe that flexibility is crucial as we plan to live a totally surrendered life to God. For flexibility helps us keep an open & positive attitude, which frees us from the desire to control every moment and plans of our own. It teaches us to put God’s will before ours; saying, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15).

Ultimately, there isn’t really such a thing as interruptions in a God-planned life, is there? It is He who is in full control of the ordering of all the affairs in our lives. As Pro 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps”. Thus, let us learn to be sensitive to God's leading in executing our well-laid plans, so that with sincere humility, we can be trained to walk in His direction.