Proverbs 19:21
You can make plans, but the Lords purpose will prevail.
Sometimes our lives don’t always go as planned. Sometimes plans get changed. That is what happened to us. We made plans in 2016 to go to Hilton Head , S.C. on vacation with friends, and I love the ocean so I was excited to spend a week at the beach listening to the waves and soaking up the sun with our friends (our Happy Place) a place of refreshment. Unfortunately, our plans got changed when my husband had to go to a meeting for work right in the middle of the week that we were planning on being gone. So we cancelled our trip (with much disappointment).
Since I already had the time off we discussed where we could go after the meeting that was closer by and ended up in Holland, Michigan. So off we went the day after the meeting and camped at the State Park which had a short walk to the beach on Lake Michigan.
We biked alot on the trails and to the beach to watch the Sunsets. We had great weather and only had rain one evening.
During our stay our friends that were in Hilton Head texted me and said they were headed home because there was a tropical storm. I felt so bad for them but wondered; is this the reason God redirected our trip?
The second evening we were there we decided to ride our bikes to the beach and watch the sunset with our little doggie (Shortie) in the front basket on my husbands bike.
We happened to see an older woman sitting on a picnic table bench and said hello and talked for a bit. We were watching the sunset and noticed it looked like it could be raining way out over lake michigan. We watched the people walking and some were even swimming as the sun was setting. I glanced over to the woman that was sitting on the bench and she was gone. I looked further and noticed she was sitting down on the sand, and people were walking right by her as if she wasn’t even there, just ignoring her. I told my husband I thought she had fallen and we needed to go help her.
So we pushed our bikes through the sand (which was not an easy task) over to the woman as we started to feel raindrops. I tried to help her up with no luck so I held the bikes and my husband helped her up out of the sand.
I then held her arm as we walked over to a very winding walkway to walk her up the hill as my husband brought the bikes. As we walked up the very winding hill to get to her house it started to pour down rain, she told me she had just gotton her hair done, she said how sorry she was about us getting wet (we were all soaked)😂 and I told her it was ok and that we would not melt. As we continued to wind up the hill I told her about my parents and their ages and she said that she was 88. As we got to her house I saw her daughter coming down a steep set of stairs and the older woman asked my name and I asked hers. Her name was Rose. I told her it was very nice to meet her as we stood in the pouring rain. Rose and her daughter thanked me for walking her back and I told them it was no problem and said goodbye and ran back down the winding slope to my husband (and our dog) who was also soaking wet.
We then pushed our bikes back over the now wet sand and then road them back to our campsite. We were soaking wet but happy that we were there at that time to help Rose get back home. Thanking God for changed plans! It never felt so good to be caught in the rain!
As it turned out our vacation was relaxing and very enjoyable, we even met up with friends from Michigan for dinner one evening. So we have realized that when plans change its not always a bad thing.
So next time your plans get changed there may be a Reason, God has you right where he wants you.
By: Debbie Hall
PRAYER:
Lord thank you for being in control of our lives even when they don’t go as we plan. We know that you have a better plan for us even when we can’t see it or understand it. Help us to trust you more!
In Jesus holy name,
Amen
PRAY*PRAISE* PERSIST 