Planning

We've all heard it said: "Want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans."

Ps. 33 says:
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever; the plans of His heart to all generations.

I can think of thousands of times my plans did not come to fruition; a handful of times they did. I didn't plan to marry the woman I married, have the children I have, have the business I have, have the friends I have, or live in the USA. But I'm blessed by the bigger, better plan that God has for me. I didn't plan to lose the business or the friends I've lost, nor did I plan for my children to move so far away from home, or for my country to stray so far from its founding values, but I'm blessed by the bigger, better plan.

So, why plan at all? Proverbs 21 says:
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

I did plan to get married, have children, have my own business, have friends, and use the freedom I have in USA to make a difference. Had I not, I would have missed many opportunities, and I would not have known how to adjust when I wasn't meeting my goals.

So, the misfit plans and rejoices when they come to fruition as well as when they don't because (s)he knows it's not over till it's over. And only God knows the beginning and the end.