This was originally written as a facebook note on March 24, 2009
At the end of last year, 2008, I had a choice to make. I had just signed up for a recreational basketball team, and I many conflicts with our scheduled games. I also wanted to go to Celebration, a church camp that was on MLK weekend. We were also going skiing the first weekend in January. My schedule was packed.
I asked my parents if I could go to Celebration, but they noted that if I went I would miss the first three games out of eight for the basketball team. We were definitely going skiing, so that was one game I was going to miss. Celebration made me miss one game, and the other game was missed due to the training of Celebration. So we decided that celebration would not be a good idea after all. However, that was not God’s plan.
So around church, when someone asked if I was going to celebration, I told them no. I thought I was going to another church retreat two weeks later. But then I realized that I had my piano theory test on that weekend. I was kind of bummed out that I could not go to either.
In Allen, Texas, the buzz around town was the high school football team, the Eagles. They had made it to state and were doing very well. They won their semifinal game and were going to the championship game. Fortunately, the final game was scheduled for the weekend of my first basketball. Since the Allen band is massive, many players on the basketball team were going. Therefore, Allen canceled the games for that weekend.
I jumped on the chance, and asked Mom again if I could sign up. After some discussing, I sent in my form on the last night to register. I had a great weekend at the camp, and really grew in my relationship with God along with other people. It wasn’t until next week at bible study, that I truly understood the situation. We started off by talking about how things are not always as they seem. My mother, who was helping to lead, commented on the situation. She said it was like God was saying, “Let’s get our priorities straight” and that it was meant for me to go. Things really worked out for good.
Another example comes to mind when I think of things working out. Over spring break, we had gone to Mexico on a mission trip for our church three times before. We did not go last year because of the timing of spring break, which was over Easter, and we wanted to spend some time together with my Dad. So in the spring, were all pumped up to go to Mexico. The Sunday before the trip however, it was decided by the elders that going to Mexico was not a smart thing to do because of all the violence, especially with all of the young kids going.
When my mom came home to tell me, I was very disappointed and was thinking, “How could we let our fear rule over us like this?” My parents reassured me that everything was going to be all right and maybe this was part of the plan. Later that week, on Wednesday, we found out that my great grandfather had just died. Then things started to make sense. My grandfather had been in pain for the last week or so, so our family was very worried. On top of that, my Grandmother was also very worried about us going to Mexico during these violent times. After looking back, we probably would not have gone to Mexico anyways. So through all this my Mom went up with my grandmother to comfort her on the trip. This was a real blessing. It would have been really hectic to figure out what to do about the mission trip.
One more blessing is that I get to go on the choir tour now!!! Not going to Mexico opened up some of the funds so that I could go. I was not originally going to go on the choir tour, partly because of how expensive it was during the tough economic times. I am excied to go now.
So what’s the point? By now I have learned that when you cannot go to something or really want to go, but can’t. If you trust in the Lord and thrust that he has a plan. Just watch very closely and everything will work out. Surely I learned more in the celebration situation than I would have if I would have pushed my parents more and really got on them to let me go and complain. I am sure I could have convinced them. But I took their direction and listened to them. When the choir tour situation came up, I thought about pushing my parents, but decided to let everything work itself out. And it did. You may not always see it, but "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
At the end of last year, 2008, I had a choice to make. I had just signed up for a recreational basketball team, and I many conflicts with our scheduled games. I also wanted to go to Celebration, a church camp that was on MLK weekend. We were also going skiing the first weekend in January. My schedule was packed.
I asked my parents if I could go to Celebration, but they noted that if I went I would miss the first three games out of eight for the basketball team. We were definitely going skiing, so that was one game I was going to miss. Celebration made me miss one game, and the other game was missed due to the training of Celebration. So we decided that celebration would not be a good idea after all. However, that was not God’s plan.
So around church, when someone asked if I was going to celebration, I told them no. I thought I was going to another church retreat two weeks later. But then I realized that I had my piano theory test on that weekend. I was kind of bummed out that I could not go to either.
In Allen, Texas, the buzz around town was the high school football team, the Eagles. They had made it to state and were doing very well. They won their semifinal game and were going to the championship game. Fortunately, the final game was scheduled for the weekend of my first basketball. Since the Allen band is massive, many players on the basketball team were going. Therefore, Allen canceled the games for that weekend.
I jumped on the chance, and asked Mom again if I could sign up. After some discussing, I sent in my form on the last night to register. I had a great weekend at the camp, and really grew in my relationship with God along with other people. It wasn’t until next week at bible study, that I truly understood the situation. We started off by talking about how things are not always as they seem. My mother, who was helping to lead, commented on the situation. She said it was like God was saying, “Let’s get our priorities straight” and that it was meant for me to go. Things really worked out for good.
Another example comes to mind when I think of things working out. Over spring break, we had gone to Mexico on a mission trip for our church three times before. We did not go last year because of the timing of spring break, which was over Easter, and we wanted to spend some time together with my Dad. So in the spring, were all pumped up to go to Mexico. The Sunday before the trip however, it was decided by the elders that going to Mexico was not a smart thing to do because of all the violence, especially with all of the young kids going.
When my mom came home to tell me, I was very disappointed and was thinking, “How could we let our fear rule over us like this?” My parents reassured me that everything was going to be all right and maybe this was part of the plan. Later that week, on Wednesday, we found out that my great grandfather had just died. Then things started to make sense. My grandfather had been in pain for the last week or so, so our family was very worried. On top of that, my Grandmother was also very worried about us going to Mexico during these violent times. After looking back, we probably would not have gone to Mexico anyways. So through all this my Mom went up with my grandmother to comfort her on the trip. This was a real blessing. It would have been really hectic to figure out what to do about the mission trip.
One more blessing is that I get to go on the choir tour now!!! Not going to Mexico opened up some of the funds so that I could go. I was not originally going to go on the choir tour, partly because of how expensive it was during the tough economic times. I am excied to go now.
So what’s the point? By now I have learned that when you cannot go to something or really want to go, but can’t. If you trust in the Lord and thrust that he has a plan. Just watch very closely and everything will work out. Surely I learned more in the celebration situation than I would have if I would have pushed my parents more and really got on them to let me go and complain. I am sure I could have convinced them. But I took their direction and listened to them. When the choir tour situation came up, I thought about pushing my parents, but decided to let everything work itself out. And it did. You may not always see it, but "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
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