Better Plans

Before you read this blog post, I want to share a quick note. I’ve walked through a painful season of infertility, so if you’re in that place right now—and today happens to be one of those really hard days where it’s just too painful to celebrate someone else’s good news—I get it. I’ve been there. If that’s you, it’s okay to skip this post. Just know I’m praying for you in this season.

-Niki Hathorn, Worthy Content Coordinator

Four months ago, I sat on the edge of my bathtub staring at two pink lines. I couldn’t deny the seemingly flashing positive that was shown on the home pregnancy test.

I can’t even describe the overwhelming mountain of emotions I felt. A new baby is something I had been praying for since my youngest was born five years prior. I had given up hope a year earlier, and came to the conclusion that this was not the plan the Lord had for our family. I had peace about it in my heart and decided to pursue other adventures that were honoring to the Lord. With our youngest daughter being five, my husband and I started planning extended weekends away, and I had time to develop relationships outside of playground play dates and “mommy groups." I was able to take on more responsibility with different things that brought me so much joy. Life was good!

So, when I learned we would now be adding to our family, my world kind of seemed to crumble. Would I have to give up things that brought me joy for something else that would bring me a different kind of joy? I was scared. See, I’m now in a special group of women described as having “advanced maternal age,” which brings a whole bunch of extra tests and precautions. Also, I had given away all my baby stuff. Outlet covers and baby gates are no longer a part of my home’s aesthetic; I would be starting over in the world of baby necessities. What was I going to do?

In Jeremiah 29, we find a letter to the people of Israel who had been exiled to Babylon:

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. 10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

-Jeremiah 29:4-14a

Goodness gracious, in the midst of all my doubts and worries, I forgot something. The Lord has a good plan for my life and He wants to give me hope! And guess what? He also has a good plan for your life and wants to give you hope too!

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Maybe you’ve been longing to go on that mission trip? It could be that you’ve been patiently praying for that new job? Or maybe you’ve been waiting for healing and restoration for a loved one? I know it can be hard waiting, but the Lord never forgets His promises.

When I look back at the past year, I can see the Lord fulfilling his plan to get me where I am now. My schedule got a little lighter and I was able to see where things needed to be prioritized. I can see now that my life in the future may look a little different than I first envisioned, but it's all a part of His plan. And I know I can trust that it will be greater than what I had planned for myself.

• Do you have a place in your life where you can see the Lord working?

• Or a place you can look back and see His plan was better than you could have imagined?

Let those things give you hope! The Lord is near and His plans are good!

-Anessa Tillett, Worthy Content Creator