I Am Not in Control
I am a planner. I make plans for everything. I am constantly thinking about what I can do. So when my now husband asked for my hand in marriage many years ago, I had something big to plan and organize.
My husband and I got married outside in my parent’s front yard. They lived out in the middle of nowhere so it was a beautiful, secluded spot. Our wedding was set to occur at 3:30 pm in June. Anyone who has ever lived in Texas or in the South knows first-hand how unpredictable the weather is on a summer afternoon in June. I did not have a plan B. I wanted an outdoor wedding. So, I planned for a great day. Things were going to go smoothly and the weather was going to be perfect. Truly I just did not want it to be 110 degrees or thunderstorms. I was not expecting what I got.
The week before the wedding it was dry and hot. Temperatures soared well over a 100 degrees everyday. Things were not looking good. The day before the wedding the house was full of volunteers. Preparations were being made like crazy. Everything was going according to plan.
For our rehearsal, everyone came to the house. We were supposed to run through the wedding ceremony making sure that everyone knew what he/she was supposed to do, where to stand, etc. The weather changed and we were unable to rehearse as planned. Rain fell. A storm rolled in. I could not believe it.
Everyone started asking, “What about tomorrow? What are you going to do?” I tried to ignore their questions. I did not want to think about changing my plans. I was still hoping for a great day. I prayed.
I awoke the next morning to the most beautiful day ever recorded (according to me) in June. The storm had been part of a cool front that moved through the area. The clouds had moved out leaving behind a brilliant clear, blue sky. A cool breeze softly stirred the leaves on the trees, which also helped to dry up the ground. The rain had refreshed all the plants and flowers that we had planted for the wedding. It was truly spectacular!
I planned everything down to the last detail. I literally planned the wedding music to the hundredth of a second. I was the wedding coordinator, planner, and bride. There was no one else. Planning enabled me to stay on track time-wise. And, my wedding day was absolutely perfect.
In the movie, “Field of Dreams,” the main character played by Kevin Costner hears a voice tell him, “Build it and they will come.” It is a story of faith. It is a story about a person putting himself out there to do what they believe. It is a story about acting on one’s faith. It is an inspiring story that most of us are familiar.
Now my wedding and the above mentioned movie have little to do with religion. However, God is everywhere. He is involved in everything. I had a plan. I was not assured of success. I did not know the outcome. I did my part and left the rest to God. In the movie, Kevin Costner did not know the outcome either. He did not really know what the voice meant, but he was moved into action. He was moved into mowing down his corn field to build a baseball field.
Recently, the church I attend needed to repair and renovate part of the church building. The carpet was badly stained and worn. Not all parts of the church were easily accessible to all of our members or guests. We needed a ramp, some handrails, etc. to be added to the grounds. Some air conditioning and heating units needed work. The gutters needed to be replaced.
After getting the bids to repair the aging building, we were disappointed by the large sum. Boards had rotted for which we had not accounted, etc. It looked like an impossible hurdle. Our elders prayed about it and decided to go through with a capital campaign to see if we could get enough donations to accomplish the task.
Every which way you looked at it we were not going to make the goal. It seemed impossible. There were not enough members to pull it off. These are tough economic times. There were so many excuses, but yet the elders pushed forward with the campaign. When all was said and done, we raised more money than we needed so we have included some other projects to make up the difference. It truly was a miracle.
If God is moving you to do something, regardless of how impossible it seems, do it. If He is calling you to home-school or change your job, do it. If you feel the need to learn survival skills and prepare for hard times, do it. I can give you examples all day. The possibilities are endless. Whatever you believe that you need to do, read about it, educate yourself, and just do it. I did. I am a homesteading, home-schooling mother of five, I do not know the outcome as I am still in the middle of it, but I do know this: God is in control. I can make all the plans I want, but in the end I am not in control.
Same thing happened to my wedding day–rehearsal dinner was 5 hours late starting and we rehearsed in the basement b/c of tornadoes!!