Making Plans - Marcia Lee Laycock

Ah, summer time - time for planning the garden, planning the vacation, perhaps even planning a new direction in life.

I remember a summer when my husband and I had big plans. We had decided to attend a Bible College in Saskatchewan, and our first step was to sell our home. We thought that would be no problem. We had a prime piece of property. Dozens of people wanted our house. We prayed the right family would come along. When a young couple offered to buy it, I was pleased. They were the perfect match. Everything seemed to be falling into place. 

Then one day the couple told us they were not able to get the money to buy the property. All our plans were suddenly unsettled and I was angry with God. Everything had seemed so right - why had he suddenly pulled the rug out from under us? I stood at the living room window that day and shook my fist at Him. Later, I asked His forgiveness and put my plans in His hands again. The moment I did so I was filled with that incomprehensible peace. I continued packing. We had less than a month to sell the house. Then three weeks. Then two weeks.

Then Spence met a man who needed a place to rent. We thought that was the solution. I packed up our kitchen. The day Spence mailed off the last of our boxes, he went to give the keys to the fellow who had rented the house. The man apologized, but said he had rented a house in town. Spence was stunned. He drove around town and happened to meet a woman whose husband had once expressed interest in the house. She said, “I’m glad I bumped into you - Art had a dream last night & he thinks God wants him to buy your house!” In a daze, Spence arranged to meet him later that evening. When he told me what was happening, I responded - “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m still packing!”

That night there was a going-away party for us in town. Thinking it might turn into a staying-home party, I went alone while Spence stayed behind to wait for Art. They had agreed to meet at five thirty. Five thirty came and went, no Art. Six o’clock came, but no Art. At that point Spence got down on his knees and prayed – “Lord, I believe you want us to go to Bible College. But if you want us to stay here, we’ll stay. You are our God whether we stay or go.” As he stood to his feet, Art drove into the yard. Within fifteen minutes the house was sold. Two days later we left for Saskatchewan.

There is a proverb that says – “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). Have you got plans? If they are in tune with the Lord’s purpose for your life, you can be sure they will be accomplished.

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Marcia's second novel, A Tumbled Stone has just been released. Visit her website