The week had been slow, but I’d been in full-time ministry
long enough to know things could change in a second. And they did.
Besides my regular schedule, the only thing I had planned for
the next day was to pray with our church mission team at 6 a.m. They were
leaving for Myrtle Beach, SC. Then I received a call from a church member. Her
husband would have surgery at 7 a.m. On the way to church that evening, one of
my wife’s brothers called. He was on the list to receive a heart transplant and
had just left the doctor’s office. They wanted him at MUSC in Charleston, SC,
at 4 p.m. the next day. He had no one to take him. Without the heart, his days
were numbered.
Suddenly, my game plan changed—and not only for us but also
for our two children. Since my wife was caring for our grandchildren, a change
in our game plan meant a change in our son’s and daughter’s plans as well. They had
no dependable backup plan, so a last-minute call from us could put them in a
quandary. But they knew I was on call 24/7. Things could change in a moment.
I like to initiate change—when it’s needed and when the
result will entail a helpful alteration—but I don’t like it thrust upon me. I’m
a creature of habit, and this change meant getting up two hours earlier as well
as a four-hour drive to the hospital—and to an area of the city I dislike. We’d
be lucky to get home by midnight—a long day. And I’d have to work from the car.
Trusting in the Lord with all our hearts and depending on him
rather than our understanding isn’t easy—or always convenient. A part of
following him means making ourselves available to opportunities he sends—even
when they change the game plan. Our mission team needed prayer, and so did the
man having surgery. My wife’s brother also needed our help. Three
opportunities. Three chances to serve.
When God changes your game plan, trust He has a reason. Then
enjoy the chance he’s giving you to serve.
Father, although I don’t enjoy changes thrust upon me, help me
trust that you have a reason.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
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