You Are Living God's "Plan A" For Your Life

...we tend to think that while God has a "best" plan for our life, he also has some other, "cheaper" plans for people who miss the best. We remember certain foolish or sinful decisions we've made and, because of the consequences, see ourselves on a permanent "Plan B" regarding God's will for our lives. Each time we make another bad decision, we drop down a notch to Plan C, Plan D, and--being the sinners that we are--we soon run out of letters in the alphabet. We think of "what could have been" if we hadn't married so-and-so, had not gotten pregnant before marriage, had not taken this horrible job and turned down the one that would have made our career, or had not blown up at our teenage son.In this chapter we will see that for those who are in Christ, there is only one plan, Plan A. This plan holds despite all our stupid mistakes and sins. We shall see the wonder of God's shepherding care, the detail of his love through his decreed plan for our lives. It is at once a truth that is awe-inspiring, deeply comforting, and yet sometimes intimidating for us, God's proud creatures.-From chapter 4 of James C. Petty, Step By Step: Divine Guidance For Ordinary Christians