Blog Post: Confessions of a Planner Pt. 1

When was the last time you made plans? What were they? Lunch plans? A meeting? When you were going to wake up? When you would go to the gym? How about when you would spend time with God?

We all do it, right? Or at least those of us who plan… plan… plan.

How about big plans? Planning a vacation… planning your summer activities… planning which classes you wanted to take… planning what degree you would pursue? Plans for when you would meet that special person… plans for what sports team you would make.

How did your plans work out? I ask because most of these I have tried to plan, but along this journey, I have learned a few things. In this blog series, Confessions of a Planner, I hope others can glean from my experiences and also see the hand of God at work—helping others to spot Him in their planning.

I must confess: when it comes to planning, I am probably one of the worst. And when I say “worst,” I mean I plan everything. I plan my morning… my week… my month… my year… my five years… even ten years from now. Yep, this is my confession: my strength in planning is also one of my biggest weaknesses.

Throughout these Confessions of a Planner, I plan to dissect Proverbs 16 and see how it can better shape my outlook on planning. My goal today is for us all to examine our lives and evaluate how much control or planning we try to exert—and how it is currently influencing who we are and what we do. In the following weeks, I will discuss how planning affects us personally and how it affects others.

Let’s check out our verse for today:

“We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.”
Proverbs 16:33 NLT

There we were—my wife and I—sitting down for a family vision planning meeting. Our goal during this life plan was to navigate potential milestones God might lead our family through over the next ten years. Where would we be financially? Where would we be with our careers? With our education? With children? Would we have a house? Would we live in Texas… Oklahoma… overseas? We felt like we had things figured out!

Then God looked at our plans. I can almost see Him now: What are they doing? He chuckles… silly creation. 🙂

Wanna know how to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. Hahaha. Okay, maybe that joke wasn’t funny… but is there any truth to it?

Now, people might interpret this post the wrong way and mistake me for a Calvinist—which I’m not—but there is truth to this scripture. We have a choice: to plan or not to plan, to pick up the dice or leave them on the table. When we choose to step out in faith with our plans, we must also recognize that there is a Creator God who guides us, gives us wisdom and discernment, and helps us develop faith as we pursue His plans.

Earlier, I mentioned my wife and I’s ten-year plan. Let’s just say that some of what we planned has come to pass, but none of it happened on the timeline we expected. Things we planned have occurred, and other things have fallen away. As I reflect on my planning and organizing, I’ve found that I can plan… plan… plan… but in the end, I also need to plan… plan… plan for patience, for flexibility, and for much, much more!

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was at a government office picking up my son’s birth certificate. Side note: having a kid teaches you a whole new understanding of planning. Back to the story… I had planned an in-and-out process before work. I was thinking, Okay, probably a thirty-minute process, right? Wrong. Two and a half hours later, I was finally walking out the door with the birth certificates. The plans I had for that afternoon developed into something I was not expecting.

So, does this mean we shouldn’t plan since our plans may not work out? Absolutely not. When we plan, we can be better stewards of our time and resources—we just need to be willing to adapt and change those plans as situations and circumstances arise.

Where are you today? Are you a crazy planner like me? Does it consume your life? Do you plan other people’s schedules? Do you try to plan other people’s lives? Is that your place? How do you feel when your plans fall apart? Does it completely throw your day off?

Two things I’ve realized in my over-zealous planning:

1. My planning can affect me in both positive and negative ways.

2. My planning can affect others in both positive and negative ways.

Look for me to address these topics in Confessions of a Planner Pt. 2 & 3.