God’s plans vs my plans

Christmas!  Boy was I looking forward to some time off.  I had been pressing pretty hard at work things for quite a while.  I took the entire week of Christmas off.  I did pretty good with not constantly checking email.  For the most part I stayed off of my computer.  Tried to unplug.  My plans were to spend some time around the house with the kids (the two at home are 16 and 13 so I realize my time left to directly influence them is quickly dwindling.  Try and do some things that they enjoy – video games, movies, etc.  I got some of that in.  God had other plans for us though.  Plans that looking back make me realize how prideful and selfish I can be. 

 We went to church last Sunday (December 23rd) and heard that a good friend of ours that is battling cancer was in the hospital.  I called her husband and learned that she had to have emergency surgery as a tumor had grown into an organ and it was causing bleeding.  This friend has been battling cancer for two years.  They have seven kids.  One of their own, two adopted and three foster kids.  Many of the kids are what society calls special needs. 

When they first began to battle the cancer the husband retired from his job to be home with his family and take care of his wife.  They are about our age – maybe 40.  They are not wealthy by any means and live a very modest existance.  They live day to day raising their kids and praying their way through her cancer. 

We had a big snowstorm that Sunday but God had blessed us with a Ford Explorer that will go through just about anything.  We offered to take some of their kids if it would help.  They gladly asked that we take their two boys and one of the girls.  I went and picked up the kids, stopped at the hospital so they could see their mom and brought the to our house.  They had fun playing with our kids and sleeping overnight. 

The next day (Christmas Eve) we took them sledding, bought a bunch of food that they could make for Christmas and brought them home.  The mom was released from the hospital Christmas Eve afternoon – amazing considering she had surgery Sunday morning.   We had one of their boys to our house again on Thursday.

Yesterday (Saturday) we had the privelege of having two boys from another family at our house for a few hours.  These are two boys of another friend of ours that has a brain tumor.  This is his second go around with a brain tumor – 12 years ago he had one in the same place in his brain.  He discoverd a few weeks ago it had grown back and he is having surgery Wednesday to have this one removed.  He and his wife were with their three other kids at curling tournaments (yes curling – i’m sure you will see a member or two of this family in the olympics in 2-6 years – they are that good.)  

Today at Church I was talking with Willy.  Willy is about as caring and loving a guy as you will meet.  He is in a wheelchair and physically had a difficult time getting around.  He talked to me about what his church family means to him as he doesn’t really have any family.  We’ve had him over to the house and we’re working to get him involved at church.  He felt he didn’t have much to offer.  We told him he was wrong and got him plugged into the childrens ministry where the kids love him.  He makes cards and bead jewelry to give to them every time he is at church. 

So where does the prideful and selfish part come in?  I headed into the time off thinking I could clear my head so I could come up with my great plan to make Compudyne that much better of a company and try and build on our successful year.  God reminded me that it is ministering to people that is success.  I started a new note file on my bible software that I call “Credit to whom?” and i’m starting to store the references that remind me that God is the one that gives and takes away.  When I look at them I am more and more convinced that it is obedience and faithfulness that God blesses in my life.  When I work and press harder and harder to figure things out it is my flesh doing the work - taking the yolk he has given me and plowing outside of the row he has called me to walk beside Him to plow.

God, forgive me for getting tired working to maintain the blessings that you have given me and neglecting the more important things – the work that you have ready in the field.  There are hurting people all over and I choose to put 99% of my mental and physical time and energy into “getting ahead.”  I know you are the one that gives and takes away and I know that your ways our not our ways.  Yet I daily work to store up treasure where moths come and eat and achieve what the world calls gain.  Forgive me for wasting time.  Teach me to see the need and fill it as you call me. Give me ears to hear your voice, understanding to do what you will and focus to remain obedient until the job is done.