I have always been a planner, I plan what I am doing tomorrow, next week, and even next month. My planner is color coded, and has tape and post-it notes everywhere. I take it everywhere with me and everything I ever do gets written down in that bad boy.
I have always had a plan for my life, but the funny thing about planning and life is that they both change. In junior high I planned and imagined what my life would be like, but then in high school, none of what I pictured happened. Then in high school I planned what college and my life after that would look like and then guess what? None of those plans happened either. Now I'm almost done with college and I have to wonder: If I plan what my life will look like, will it actually happen?
I always pictured and planned for the "American Dream" future: Find a boy, fall in love, graduate college, get married, travel the world, get my dream job, and then settle down and have a family. Well, as of right now, none of that has happened (life has a funny way of working out sometimes). So far all I can take credit for is almost finishing college. I've always pictured scenarios in my head of all these amazing things I wanted to happen, but almost every time, they never ended up working out.
That's the funny thing about planning. You can plan all you want, but it doesn't mean it is actually going to happen. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I have to keep reminding myself of that when things don't go as planned. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had gone to a different college, chosen a different major, or if I had stayed home instead of moving into a dorm. But then I think to myself; if I hadn't chosen what I did, then I wouldn't have met my awesome best friend/roommate, I wouldn't have the memories that I do and I wouldn't be where I am today.
Planning is an amazing habit to have, but life happens. It gets in the way of that picture perfect plan we create for ourselves. Going with the flow, and really embracing what God throws our way is something that I can't plan for, as hard as it is, it is something I have to accept.
Life is tough, but so are we. God made us and He made a plan for us - it's all about embracing that plan. Learning to adapt His plan is really the best plan.
