I had a minor late night break down one night last week. I have decided that change is super exciting, but in reality it is straight up scary. I called my sister, knowing that she would be the only one up – at 11:30 PM – that I really wanted to talk to. I just started thinking about what is to come in the next few months, creating scenarios in my head, leading to worry. Ugh…I am such a planner, and sometimes that is just a flat out awful thing. My sister, and all her 16 years of wisdom, calmed my heart reminding me of Jeremiah 29:11. Then – yes the Lord is so sneaky – I got this email from Stan today via his work daily devotion emails, which coincidentally plays off of Sundays sermon I talked about here (@ the end of the post). I’ll interject in bold:

When the Future seems Uncertain  by Rick Warren

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans … to give you a future and a hope … You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.” Jeremiah 29:11, 13 (LB) No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen this year, let alone in the next few weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses. [like James 4:14 tells us “…you do not know” and frankly worry is the result of assuming that “you know”] Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability. The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future: Set goals according to God’s direction [as Tim Keller put it in the church sermon at Redeemer last Sunday, “let go of the American Life Control Illusion”] It’s foolish to make plans without first consulting God. He’s the only one who DOES know the future – and he’s eager to guide you through it. The Bible says, “We may make our plans, but God has the last word.” (Proverbs 16:1) In other words, planning without praying is presumption. Start by praying, “God, what do YOU want me to do in 2010?” Live one day at a time — While you can plan for tomorrow, you can’t live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today! John Lennon once wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Decide to make the most of each moment this year. Jesus said, “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow – God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time.” (Matthew 6:34) Don’t procrastinate – DO IT NOW! – “Don’t boast [boasting=corrosion of you from the inside out, see James 5:3] about what you’re going to do tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1) Procrastinating is a subtle trap. It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow. You promise yourself that you’ll do it “one of these days.” But “one of these days” is usually “none of these days.” What did you plan to get done last year that you didn’t do? When do you intend to start working on it?

My heart now rest in the fact that God WILL work out His sovereign will…submit your lives to him and let him be the perfect architect, designer, & crafter of your life!

(images via flickr: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 &  7)