This time of year is a crazy one. I’m not just saying that because the holidays are in full swing and because everyone is rushing around, but because many times the plans we lay out don’t follow through how we would like for them to. This can definitely cause me to go a little crazy, as I love to have everything planned out a certain way.

Christmas Day has just gone by and now everyone is starting to look toward New Year’s Day and the celebrations that come along with it. However, the new year comes with even more new plans and resolutions that many of us are so determined to see happen or accomplish. We make a list, we write something down in a journal or we simply promise ourselves that one specific thing is going to happen for us, the way WE want it to happen. We pray about it and often ask God to help us reach our goals and to help our plan along. However, what happens when that perfect little plan falls completely apart?

Whenever I talk with other people about what their frustrations with God are, they are usually along the lines of how the person doesn’t feel like He is there for them or how He doesn’t want something to go their way. So, when a plan doesn’t carry out in their favor, they somehow feel like He has betrayed them. They get this idea in their head that He doesn’t want them to be happy. I shouldn’t even use the word “they,” as I myself have felt this way before. However, our God is one of unconditional love, trust and faith, so how could He possibly want the worst for us? It can be hard, but we have to see that just because our plan doesn’t go exactly how we want, doesn’t mean it isn’t the right plan.

One very important statement I remind myself of daily and one you should take to heart is this: You don’t have to fall apart when your plans fall apart, you can trust God.

Proverbs 3:1-2 says “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.”

We always think the worst of a situation when the plans we make fall apart, but if we have trust and faith in God, then we know we don’t have to feel this way. We know that God is actually in the center of what we call a “mess” and is doing something even greater than we could have imagined. He never leaves you in the middle of it either. God is closer to you in the middle of your plan falling apart because He knows you are worried and scared, however He is showing you His love more than ever by guiding you toward a greater plan.

I know it’s hard to trust in a plan you cannot physically see or one you didn’t plan yourself, but God would never lie or lead you down the wrong path. However, His plan is not always easily revealed to you. He wants to you to grow closer to Him by learning to just trust in His plan without knowing what that plan is. Because when we place all our trust in the Lord, we aren’t scared of the outcomes of the hidden plans He has for us. We can live in what I like to call the “triangle” of peace. Peace is at the center, which of course is where we all want to be. The three sides represent that God is with us, God is guiding us and God is working for our good. When we trust in these three truths, then can we be at the center of the triangle. So, those plans you make that you hold so close to your heart, maybe let them go just a little bit. Make goals and have dreams that you want to accomplish, but know that God’s plan is even more amazing and holds more promise than your own.