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Today's Bible Verse:

"'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.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)
 

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Behind the "seen"

Right now, without you realizing it, a plan is unfolding.

"But I already have a plan, Bob!"

That's great. Congratulations. I am a strong believer in setting goals, dreaming big and making plans.

"I'm sorry to say I don't have a plan, Bob. I'm tired. I'm beat up. I've tried everything and failed. My plan is not to have a plan."

That's great. Congratulations. I am a strong believer in...wait a minute!

You're not saying you just quit, are you? I mean you're not giving up on the dream, right?

It's okay to be in the pre-planning stage, too. But not in the standing still and going nowhere stage.

Permit me to address both of you.

It's great you have a plan, really, but I must warn you that it may not be complete. If it's not complete it may very well take much longer than you want. It may even fail. That is until you learn something important.

As for you who doesn't have a plan and decided to sit the rest of your life on the side lines...that's not going to work either. You definitely are missing the key element for success and happiness.

Allow me to use my own story as an example. I always said that everyone can serve a purpose. In my case, with some of the big mistakes I've made, I can always serve as a "bad example!" (smile)

I guess you can say I've been going through the "change of life."

I wouldn't change, so my life did.

Over recent months I slid into a deep, dark depression. That came about after I attempted suicide (even failed at that) and then the end of my marriage.

Wow, tough year, huh?

So, I guess you can say I was like you, my friend, the one who has no plan. I gave up, gave in and sat on the side lines.

Before all of this I was like you, my success-minded friend. I had plans, big plans, big dreams and goals.

But in both cases I now realize one element was missing.

"Tell us already!"

Okay, I promise. The thing is I just discovered this yesterday, January 3, 2014.

While all of my efforts of planning and goal setting might have been what the world would applaud as the right thing to do, they fell short.

Then when my world seemed to have no purpose I sat back.

Like that famous line from "On the Waterfront"

"You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody..."

What I have just come to realize is, there has been a plan all along.

What I now call, "Behind the "seen."

All the stuff going on or not going on was what I saw. What the world saw.

But behind everything is His plan.

I had dreams, I had goals but they weren't God's plan.

I gave up, I gave in, but He was still working behind the "seen."

More importantly, I didn't realize it and I believe some of the people God was using didn't realize it, either.

As I struggled through this past year, He sent people to me. Lots of them.

When I was drowning God sent people to keep my head above water.

My income is from God. My work, my friends, and gifts donated to help me pay the bills related to my work all came through God.

My friends are from God. My neighbor Alan, stopping in to check on me on Thanksgiving Day was sent by God.

My friend, Chris stopping by to pray with me, was sent by God.

Edgar listened to what God was saying and he helped me.

Julie, Pat, Charlie, and Betty and a hundred "friends on Facebook" who always made kind, encouraging comments about my postings all were a part of the plan, His plan.

The "friends I've never met" who read my stories and shared them with others, were all being used by God to get me to where He wants me to be.

Not to where my dreams want me to go. Not to where I can check off some superficial goal I set. But to where He has always wanted me to arrive.

God is the missing element in your plan for success and yes even your plan to give up.

Include Him and you'll begin to see how all the pieces of this puzzle you call your life, have been falling into place without you realizing it.

You're doing one thing and He has His plan working, too. Where you are successful are the points where your work and His plan are the same. Where things didn't work out, it meant you were too far away from God's will for you.

Include God in your plans and your world will open up, your life will turn around.

He has already included you in His plans.

The strength in the plan is when you and God are on the same path. Like when two rivers come together and turn into one. There's no stopping it.

I saw it so clearly yesterday when I spoke to Alan and then today when I was reminded that my story "I wish you enough!" Is still very much alive and impacting the world.

God's Plan for me is to carry on. God's plan for you is to work with Him.

Ask Him. Include Him. Ask for guidance and then listen, watch, and be prepared to follow through.

He's been sending people into your life, too. He's been sending you into others.

Maybe God sent me with today's message? Do you hear it? Do you see it?

Get with the plan!

Bob Perks

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