The Plans He Has For You

Hello, today I am coming to you from the car on my way out of Chanute, Kansas. Not my typical location but exciting nonetheless. This trip is sponsored by a scholarship I have that requires me to attend a workshop on stocks/investing. I don’t know much about this topic, which was initially discouraging. But then again, I don’t know why I would. The Lord reminded me of this, and it’s given me the motivation I need to enter the week with an open mind. 

I think it’s easy to be discouraged about what we don’t know a lot about. When I’m feeling discouraged, I tend to shut down and give up. However, I am learning that there will always be something (or many things) I don’t know everything about. I have my areas of expertise and experience, as well as things that come naturally to me. I could be content with this and never branch out of my comfort zone out of fear of my pride getting hurt, or I could humbly walk into new opportunities and learn from those around me. 

I’m sure I will have some commentary to provide from this trip next week so stay tuned for that. This week has been quite interesting. Monday started out with an intense storm. Thankfully, my town was safe from the worst of it, but we still experienced lots of rain as Hurricane Beryl made landfall. 

Although I am usually not a fan of rain, the showers did give me a chance to buckle down and study for my nutritional biochem class. The time I put in studying on Monday made me confident enough to take my exam on Tuesday, which was an unexpected blessing. Only 1 quiz and the final between me and the end of the class, which is so exciting! This is actually my last nutrition class of undergrad

During the storm, the Lord reminded me of the scripture where He talks about storms and how He is a refuge amidst them. 

Luke 8:23-25

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Me not liking rain is just one example of how I don’t like things to be imperfect. 

There is a prayer by Every Moment Holy that I have related to ever since I read it my freshman year of college. As a senior now, it still reigns true. 

My disappointments reveal so much about my own agenda for my life, and the ways I quietly demand that it should play out: free of conflict, free of pain, free of want. My dreams are all so small. You are the King of my collapse. You answer not what I demand, but what I do not even know to ask. 

From A Liturgy for the Death of a Dream by Douglas McKelvey, found in Every Moment Holy Volume I. 

Despite my best efforts to control everything around me, I am learning that there will just be hard moments of life and perhaps moments I wish I could skip over. 

Until the new Heaven and the new Earth come to be, this will be the case. Yet, I have recently considered that this is a blessing. My time on Earth is the only time I have to experience God amidst imperfections. It’s during the hardships in life that I can learn to know Him as Comforter, Savior, and Healer. If it weren’t for the unideal moments, I wouldn’t be able to experience Him in this way. 

Author Lysa TerKeurst shared a thread I saw on Instagram this week that resonated with and inspired me. I have included in below.

“I keep waiting for the day where there’s no anxiety. No pressure. No stress. No disappointment. No zing of panic.

But today I have a different strategy. I’m going to be the one who notices, a watcher, an embracer, a celebrator, and a chooser of what’s right and good and fun and worthy to be given a ‘wow.’ 

If you’ve been feeling a bit out of balance for a bit… 

Maybe try to level the scales by calling out what settles you, what delights you, what is a gift to you today. 

There are answers… 

To your prayers tucked into this glorious date on the calendar. 

This day is part of the one day you keep asking God for. 

Life is both hellish and healing… 

Crying and cracking up. Sinking and soaring. Desperation in the dark and explorations of the light. 

But mostly I just want… 

To be steady. To radiate a peace that passes all understanding. A calm presence is a world twisted up in chaos. 

The one who brings goodness with her into every room she goes. And that’s my choice to make… 

No one stops from any of that except me. 

The really beautiful life we want isn't out there somewhere void of all problems and fears… 

It’s ours the moment we accept what isn't right but dance in the light of all that is right, right now.” 

I don’t live what she mentioned in this perfectly. But I’m also learning that I don’t have to. I can still appreciate the words nonetheless. 

In this week’s podcast, Breanna shared a quote that I love. She said that God doesn’t need us to be a better version of ourselves, He just wants us to be more like Him. 

This makes sense because pursuing worldly perfection via perfecting our outward appearance and acquiring accolades and attention often leads to pride rather than praise of our Savior. 

Not saying that bettering ourselves is a bad thing, but it can be detrimental if we are focused more on ourselves than God. 

Link to this week’s podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bRvfxOUyIt0TDKVgmS1qf?si=XCT2HBfDR16ki4-fDY0hAg

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Yesterday on the drive to Kansas, I read a whole book. I haven't read a book in one sitting in years, so you know it was a good read if I was able to do this. 

The book was “Daughter-: Becoming Who You Already Are” By Laney Rene. 

One of my favorite messages from the book is that God is continuously making plans for our good. 

I naturally have a very black and white mindset. 

For many years, I have struggled to see why some things would work out despite them not being “perfect.”

For instance, I struggled to understand how relationships not initially centered on God could still be blessed by Him or how someone who didn’t work that hard could experience prosperity, 

I thought that if you made one mistake it was over. You were done for.

This book helped me understand why this isn’t true using the verse Jeremiah 29:11, which states 

"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.

Apparently, the word “plans" comes from the Hebrew word “machashavah.” One meaning of this word is to “invent, plot or design.”

This “implies that God is always creating something new for…

It’s easy to think that once we mess up, we have messed up God’s total plan for our lives, and now we will live with second best or even third best every time we mess up. But since God is always working on our behalf, inventing, plotting, and designing new plans for us, messing up His plan for our lives is impossible.” (1)

I think this explains how we can experience God’s blessings even amidst the mistakes we make as a part of our own free will. God’s sovereignty even over our flawed choices is such a mystery. 

Well, that’s a wrap for this week's blog. Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to writing more during this month <3 

Love,

Bailee Chavez

References 

1. Daughter: Becoming Who You Already Are. Laney Rene. Breakfast for Seven, 2024.