Maybe God Has a Plan

In my journey of coming to know God, I’ve always been plagued by one common argument against Him. How can He be ok with a world in which so many suffer? If He loves us wouldn’t He want us to be happy? And if He has the power to make us all happy, why doesn’t He? This was one thing about God that I just couldn’t understand… until I had to start thinking about how to discipline my child.

My biggest fear in parenting is disciplining Reese in an effective and loving way. I want to be firm but not harsh and relaxed but not too lenient. I want her to learn to take care of herself and others. I want her to work hard and make good decisions. I want her to learn from her mistakes and find strength in the midst of her struggles. I want her to learn to get back up when she falls. I want to raise her to be a responsible adult so that when it’s time for her to spread her wings, she will fly and not fall. I have a plan.

Now, I know that in order to accomplish this plan, I will have to tell her “no” and I will have to take things away from her. I will have to watch her fall down and face struggles and make mistakes. And as much as I will want to swoop in and save her every time she stumbles, I will know that it isn't always be best for me to do that. I will have to know when it is right to step in and when it is right to step back. I won't be able to answer every request or give her exactly what she wants every time she wants it. I will always do what is best for her in the long run, and as much as that will sometimes break my heart, I will do it because I love her so much. Because of this, I know that when she is young there will be times when she thinks, “Why doesn’t my mom help me? If she loves me so much, why won’t she do this for me? If she wants me to be happy, why does she tell me no?” But hopefully someday when she is grown, she will say, “Thank you for teaching me all that you did because I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of those lessons.”

Maybe that's why life can be so hard. Maybe that's why God doesn't always answer every single prayer the way we expect him to answer it. Maybe He knows something about the bigger picture of our lives that we couldn't possibly comprehend from the place we stand today. Maybe somewhere along the way, He's trying to teach us something; trying to steer us in the right direction; trying to do what is best for us in the long run. Maybe He wants us to face some challenges and learn to work through them; to fall down a few times and learn to get back up. Maybe we suffer on Earth so when we get to Heaven we will say, “Thank you for teaching me all that you did because I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of those lessons.” Then we will spread our wings and we will fly and not fall. Maybe, just maybe, God really does have a plan.