no eye has seen...

Beth Moore hit a homerun with this poem she wrote. My friend Heather shared it with me at a time recently I was wrestling with questions and frustration with my inability to understand God's plan for my life...no matter how perfect it is.

I hope you enjoy it too!

The Life I Planned
by Beth Moore


Has someone seen the life I planned?
It seems it's been misplaced
I've looked in every corner
It's lost without a trace
I've found one I don't recognize
Things missing that were dear
Promises I'd hope to keep
And dreams I'd dreamed aren't here
Faces I had planned to see
Hands I planned to hold
Now absent in the pictures
Not the way I told
Has someone seen the life I planned?
Did it get thrown away?
God took my hand from searching
Then I heard him say,

"Child, your ears have never heard
Your eyes have never seen
Eternal plans I have for you
Are more than you could dream.
"You long to walk by sight
But I'm teaching eyes to see.
I know what I am doing
'Til then, you must believe."
He's done so much, I felt ashamed
To know He heard my moans
To think I'd trade in all He's done
For plans made on my own.
I wept over His faithfulness
And how He'd proved Himself
How He'd gone beyond my dreams
And said to Him myself,

"No, my ears have never heard
My eyes have never seen
Eternal plans you have for me
Are more than I could dream.
"Yes, I long to walk by sight
But You're teaching eyes to see
You know what You are doing
'Til then, I must believe."
I felt His great compassion
Mercy unrestrained
He let me mourn my losses
And showed me to my gains.
I offered Him my future
And released to Him my past
I traded in my dreams
For a plan He said would last.
I get no glimpse ahead
No certainties at all
Except the presence of the One
Who will not let me fall.
Are you also searching
For a life you planned yourself?
Have you looked in every corner?
Have you checked on every shelf?

Child, your ears have never heard
Your eyes have never seen
Eternal plans He has for you
Are more than you could dream.
Perhaps you long to walk by faith
But He's teaching eyes to see
He knows what He is doing
Child, step out and believe.

Welcome, Leah

I am proud to present to my readers (all three of you) my beautiful new niece, Leah Shay Morris. Born May 5, 2009 at 8:18pm at 8lbs 10ozs, 21 inches long. I think I kissed her sweet cheeks about a hundred and seven times.

waiting...

This morning, I am sitting with my nephew, Wyatt - an almost-big brother of a baby sister to be named shortly - waiting for her to make her appearance to this world. Wyatt doesn't know what's about to hit him...and he's perfectly content to watch TV, naive to how this baby will rock his world. But for now, he's happy with the cartoon on the television, the Lightning McQueen car in his hand, and the knowledge that Aunt Katie will take him to the store later, if he's good, to buy him "mine owns beans" (Jelly-Bellys).

I have a lot to learn from this two-and-a-half year old...

To be content in a moment, not needing answers to his uncertainty.
To trust that he'll be provided for simply because he knows nothing other than provision for the day.
To find happiness in the smallest things, not (always) dwelling on what he doesn't have.

As we wait for baby Lucky's arrival (as Wyatt has lovingly nick-named her), I can reflect on the blessings we've been promised...and that sometimes it just takes a little waiting to receive those blessings.

Just like planting seeds in the spring, and having them slowly grow into beautiful flowers (like my ranunculus above), the blessing comes in the waiting.....