Imagine this scenario. A husband and wife are hurrying through the morning activities and are planning the evening. The wife says she will be home later than usual and asks hubbie if he can get dinner ready. She gives him some suggestions/directions on what is available and what will need to be done. “No problem,” he agrees. A quick kiss later and they are off for the day.
Hours later, this busy wife and mom is heading home after a long day. She stops by the grocery store to pick up milk….and grabs two fresh-baked pizzas. She arrives home – pizzas in hand – just as her husband is finishing up the dinner preparations. The whole family stares at two dinners.
No, this exact scenario has never happened at my house and is, truthfully, just for the purpose of illustrating my thoughts – because, although, I may not have brought an extra dinner home, I have been guilty of “my plan b” too often. I ask something from my husband, one of my children, a friend or co-worker and expect (even anticipate) they will follow through but I have “plan b” just in case. Perhaps they have failed to follow through in the past. Maybe I just overthink and over anticipate what might go wrong – simply overcomplicating things. I’m sure, far too often, my need to be in control is the real problem. Whatever the cause, too many “plan b” scenes can be frustrating and cause friction in relationships.
The bigger problem is when I do much the same thing with the Lord. When I bring my heart’s burdens, my requests, my needs and my care to Him….knowing completely that He hears, listens and answers. I can trust Him completely – I know this. However, too often just after my prayer has ended, I begin formulating a “plan b,” even if just mentally. What will I do…how will I respond…what will be the next step IF (just if….) He fails to answer??
This is my last thought on “surrender” for a while. (Hopefully, I will look back with even more lessons at the end of the year. But to be honest, these lessons learned do not happen overnight or necessarily easily. Refining – learned through surrender – can be a challenging process. Sometimes painful. But certainly worth it.) I am learning to surrender my constant need for control. Learning to trust more – not only trusting the ones I love but surely deepening my trust in the One who loves me so!! Often, for me, this means refusing to develop a backup plan. Not rehearsing the what’ifs of every situation. Most of all, learning to wait patiently – and expectantly – on God’s answers and His working for me. That lesson, alone, is worth whatever I have to surrender.
Faith is a hard calling, isn’t it. And even though God has proven over and over how faithful He is, we still look over our shoulder, wondering and waiting.
I love this post, Jennifer. I never realized how often I’ve had a Plan B tucked in my back pocket, just in case …
I wrote a post called Is There Even A Plan B? I will reread it. It has happened at my house, I have cooked and here comes someone with dinner, it is often lack of communication, having lived with extra family members has had its moments, I try to follow through, everyone else may not. We make back up plans expecting something to go wrong. I believe God adjusts things too, but the redemption plan is still A and at work. Something to think about.
The first thought that came to mind in your pizza scenario is how must the husband feel that you asked him to get dinner ready yet you show up with pizza just in case he can’t handle it. I know it’s a made-up scenario but could you imagine how a husband would feel if his wife did this to him? She’d send a message of I don’t trust you or what you prepare probably won’t be good enough so let me make sure we’re good just in case or here she comes to save the day/dinner because surely he can’t. He’s incapable! All negative!
Thankfully, we don’t need a Plan B with God because we can always count on him no matter what.
Oh, sweet surrender. I have spent a lot of time learning and re-learning this very thing. In fact, 2018 was my year of surrender. It was my one word for the year and God had a lot to teach me. Thank you for sharing about trusting that Plan A is enough.