Planning In Pencil

Paul is a great example of someone who learned to make his plans in pencil.

In his letter to the Philippines from prison he writes Phil 2:19 “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send timothy to you shortly” v 23-24 “Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly."

"I hope"  Paul's not sure it's going to happen, he's not sure what's going to happen with his court date. He "plans" on sending Timothy first then coming himself. Even though he doesn't know what God is going to do he is still making a plan, in pencil. Paul states I'll send him soon God willing and when you say go it will be immediate.

Paul would be ready to move as soon as he got the green light. Paul had a plan but he was willing to wait on God to see if He wanted to change anything..

Paul didn't know what was going to happen but he doesn't sound pitiful or desperate. He's submitted and surrendered to God's sovereign plan because he knows that's more important than his agenda.

Too often we will feel like God told us to do something but if it doesn't happen in the time frame we think is appropriate we either bail or stop getting ready. When that happens the “immediately” part of the plan doesn't happen because we are battling between our time frame and God's perfect timing.

Planning keeps you from becoming stagnant, Paul is ready as soon as God gives him his answer he is ready to move immediately.

Gems I'll be honest with you from the time God told me I would move to TN til the time it actually happened was seven years! I took a lot of grief from people along the way and a lot of negative comments but I never gave up on the plan. In my heart I was always ready. When the Holy Spirit finally said “let's go” it was pretty much immediately.

Then just as quick as it happened it ended, seven months later He spoke again “it's time to pack up, your going to New York, Haiti then back to Florida.”

I'm now back to the, I hope to move shortly, but it's been 5 months and no word yet but I'm ready when He gives the green light. It's not always easy. My things are in storage in TN. I have as many clothes as I could fit in my car and I'm always looking for something that's still in storage. I left furniture with the sweet couple that sublet my apartment and have to get it by the end of December and I have no idea how that will happen. 
I do know that when I start trying to plan how all that will happen I get stressed and I'll tell you why. When I plan too far down the road the Lord is not there with me, I'm trying to do it all in my own strength and abilities.

I have heard many times that this life style only applies to some people, strange people maybe even unstable people but I say if you are a believer in Jesus Christ it applies to you. Yes the journey may be different but the same Holy Spirit speaks to us all its just some listen and some believe they have a better plan. Not everyone will allow their heart and mind to change. We can usually
tell when we are in the presence of God the hard part is knowing
where you are going with God. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps — reading the Bible. When we do that we pass by the visible sign of the Cross raised athwart our path to show us that, not our way, but God’s way must be done. It is strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this, but actually they are disdaining God’s “crooked yet straight path” (Gottfried Arnold). They do not want a life that is crossed and balked. But it is part of the discipline of humility that we must not spare our hand where it can perform a service and that we do not assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God. -

When you plan in pencil and not stone your available to other doors being opened or closed. It keeps you from breaking down doors yourself that weren't meant for you to go through.

Back to Paul, it was a desire of his heart for a long time to go to Rome.

Romans 1:9-15 The Message

8-12I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That’s first. People everywhere keep telling me about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him. And God, whom I so love to worship and serve by spreading the good news of his Son—the Message!—knows that every time I think of you in my prayers, which is practically all the time, I ask him to clear the way for me to come and see you. The longer this waiting goes on, the deeper the ache. I so want to be there to deliver God’s gift in person and watch you grow stronger right before my eyes! But don’t think I’m not expecting to get something out of this, too! You have as much to give me as I do to you.

13-15 Please don’t misinterpret my failure to visit you, friends. You have no idea how many times I’ve made plans for Rome. I’ve been determined to get some personal enjoyment out of God’s work among you, as I have in so many other non-Jewish towns and communities. But something has always come up and prevented it. Everyone I meet—it matters little whether they’re mannered or rude, smart or simple—deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation. And that’s why I can’t wait to get to you in Rome, preaching this wonderful good news of God.

He does finally get there because it was God's plan for that to happen, but guess what? I'm sure it didn't happen AT ALL the way he thought it would. The Bible tells us in Acts Paul gets beat up by a mob, thrown in prison, endures an earthquake, is shipwrecked on an island and finally arrives in Rome in chains.  If the Holy Spirit would have shown him all that was involved I'm sure he wouldn't have been as eager to get started.

 Gems I don't know where you're at in  your journey right now. You may feel the Lord's presence, you may not. You may know that you know you're where your supposed to be or you may be asking daily where am I going? Whatever your doing don't get stagnant keep planning in pencil and keep your heart open to the Holy Spirit and you will end up right where your supposed to be, in the center of God's will.