A friend of mine just emailed me and the tag at the bottom of her email was...
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
I don't know how many times I've read that scripture over the past 8 months but in just the past few moments it hit me square in the face.
"For I know" - God knows his plan for us. We are not sure of it yet but in His time it will be revealed. And if we knew what this plan was, we naturally would want to change it!! He knows better than to trust us with such knowledge!
"the plans" - God is thinking BIG. He doesn't have just one little plan but has multiple plans for our lives and will allow them to unfold.
"I have for you" - He has specially formed these plans to fit us perfectly. We may only see glimpses of the greatness He has in store for our lives but God knows the awesomeness of His master design.
"declares the LORD" - whispers the Lord... No. says the Lord... No. DECLARES the Lord. Emphatic and authoritative.
"plans to prosper you" - He will give us the desires of our heart if those are truly of Him. These are our joys, our dreams, our miracles.
"and not to harm you" - The quote "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger" comes to mind. We may go through times that may make death appealing but God's love for us is so powerful that he will deliver us from those dark days if we allow Him.
"plans to give you hope" - Our hope is in knowing that God's plan is real and defined.
"and a future." - God's plan for us is eternal and that future is brighter than any we could make for ourselves here on Earth. But His plan for us in our earthly existence allows us to think of the future that will be filled with His blessings.
God's plan for me is unclear. I'm really confused about many things in my life right now but I know that His plans have already been set in motion for my future. I will find hope in this.
My mom's oldest sister, Aunt Nina, pulled me aside at my cousin Walter's birthday party a few weeks ago to talk for a few minutes. She too lost infant children (4 to be exact) and understands many of my emotions now. She told me what my grandmother (Becky) told her when she was trying to understand why this was happening to her and her babies. My grandmother said "When you pick roses from your garden, you don't just pick all of the full bloom roses to put in your bouquet. You choose a few new little rosebuds as well to place in the bouquet. God is the same way. He chooses many older blooms for his bouquet but wants to have a few younger ones as well." My grandmother might not have had an extensive education but she was so wise. I like thinking of Lizzy Ann as a beautiful little pink rose in God's beautiful bouquet of lives. Small and sweet just like her precious life.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. We love you, we love you, we love you.
-Johnna
