Tonight I attended a girls’ high school basketball game with my partner in crime (both on the court and off of the court) from high school, Jess. It wasn’t much of a game but being in a gym where I played many games over four years brought back memories from my high school days. I remembered the feeling of finally beating the polar bears on their home court (it took 4 years but we did it). I remembered the summer evenings when Jess and I would entertain ourselves with every fun filled activity imaginable. I remembered the days of my misfit youth. I remembered what I envisioned for my life when I was a teenager. I had been independent my entire life and I had a plan that didn’t involve anyone else. I had a plan that didn’t involving changing one thing about my way of thinking or my lifestyle. I was convinced that as soon as I got my driver’s license; I was on a one-way ticket out of West Virginia. I was going to become a safety engineer (because the schooling was easy and the salary was acceptable) and work for NASA and put an end to whether or not we truly did walk on the moon. And travel. I was going to travel to everyplace possible. (Backpacking Europe will happen in my lifetime)I had everything figured out. I didn’t consider the cost of out of state tuition. I didn’t realize how boring it was to be a safety engineer. And I didn’t value my family enough to put them above my travel plans. But mostly I didn’t consider that my seemingly wise ideas were foolish ideas to God.
My seemingly wise ideas weren’t limited to when I was a teenager; I have seemingly wise ideas now. (I have considered going to the military but now I realize, I wouldn’t pass the bed making let alone the basic training) Sometimes, I become so preoccupied with my ideas that I restrict God. And sometimes God restricts parts of my life because His plan requires restriction. Without His restrictions, I would be in big trouble. (And I would be a rebellious safety engineer) Some of my biggest success in life came through God’s biggest restrictions in my life. I was able to give life to the part of my heart that exists to invest in the lives of others because He restricted my plan to become a safety engineer. He sent me down the road of physical therapy school instead. And on this road, my passion for people, my purpose to make a difference and my dependence on God has grown deeper. I was able to give back to my grandparents during their battles with cancer because He restricted my plan to bury my misfit youth and move away. He sent me down the road of forgiveness, loyalty, love, sacrifice, and compassion. And on this road I traded in my personal gains for gains for those I love. Most importantly, I was able to recognize Satan’s plots and schemes to keep me from obey God because He restricted my plan to run as far away from Him as I could. He sent me on the road to find Him again. And on that road I found contentment in being powerless; I found enjoyment in His restrictions. Do you miss out on the joy of enjoying what God has for you right now because you are too consumed with the restrictions placed on your life? Are you allowing Satan to distract you? Whatever God is restricting right now in your life, is for your own good. When we obey Him, we make Satan’s wise ideas foolish and send Him down the road of destruction alone. And when Satan is on that road, he will find defeat over and over again.
After a night of good laughs and heart to hearts; Jess said, “I dare you to cross her dad.” You obviously weren’t sitting in the Honda with the three of us (Kale completed our triangle) to understand her comment. But you didn’t have to be present to tell Satan, “I dare you to cross my Father!” No one can restrict God…ever. And I am very thankful for that especially since my most thought out, fail proof, detailed plans would have restricted every blessing in my life.
Verse to remember: 1 Corinthians 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
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