What's next, Papa?

God always has a plan!

Isn't that wonderful news? No matter what craziness is going on in the world or in our own lives, we can count on one thing: God always has a plan!

How do I know?

I've lived it! Am living it still. I look back on nearly 54 years of life on this planet and see it. Every day of my life. Every struggle I've been through. Every season, good or bad. God always had a plan!

My husband and I recently went through what initially felt like a storm, but in reality turned into the most wonderful blessing! Since November 2012 we'd worked on a ranch in Texas as the caretakers. It was an amazing life on a gorgeous property, yet it came with many, many frustrations, lots of hard work, and lots of situations that required complete trust in God. After the holidays last year, we had a sense our time on the ranch was coming to an end. Honestly, we'd known it in our hearts long before the job ended in July. With total trust that God saw our future, we packed up and temporarily moved in with my mother-in-love who graciously put up with us for eight weeks while we waited on the Lord. It may sound strange to some, but I'm grateful for those eight weeks. They were weeks that hubby and I spent in intense time on our knees and in the Word seeking God's plan for our lives. When life is going smoothly, we all too often get lazy in our walk with the Lord. Sometimes I think he allows trials to come into our lives as a reminder that we exist for his pleasure, not the other way around.

Last April, I was reading in the book of Romans in the Message Bible. Chapter 8, verses 15-16 jumped out at me:

"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children."

Don't you love that?? We can live a life that is adventurously expectant with no fears for the future! We can ask Father God, "What's next?" with complete and total trust that he has a plan! When I underlined that phrase back in April, I had no idea what my Papa, or Abba, planned for me. I didn't know a change in jobs was around the bend. Didn't know he'd move us to a new state. But I trusted, and still do.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) I take comfort in the "in advance" part, don't you? That means God isn't surprised when things happen in our lives.

Today, I type this with complete and utter peace and confidence, knowing that I am sitting in the center of God's strong and mighty hands, loved and protected and cared for. God answered every prayer we prayed those eight long weeks by planting us on a gorgeous property, working with wonderful people who are fellow believers.

Leeland's song "Beginning and the End" really spoke to me during our weeks of praying and trusting. If you're in a season where you don't know what the future holds, listen and trust the One who does!

Blessings to you all!

~Michelle