Could Plan C be the Bread we Need?
What if Plan A gets pushed aside to usher in Plan B? Only to have Plan C emerge.
Could it be that Plan C may actually be the bread that you’ve been praying for? A recent sermon asked the question “What if God does answer prayer?” The scripture we dug into was Matthew 7:9. A description of a father, who even in his broken humanity wouldn’t give a stone to his son when bread was requested. A reminded that if I desire good for my children how much more will God the Father, the author of goodness desire to give give us bread, even if we are pursuing stones.
It surfaced a new question that I knew might result in a different direction and in full transparency we can now see how God was gently waiting for us to explore an idea knowing it could mean releasing a dream. You see we had a project that was exciting, that we had been praying, planning and pouring energy into for over a year and now this question, “Are we pursing a stone or bread?” created discomfort but couldn’t be ignored.
I have to be honest there have been many times I’ve prayed for something, believing it to be bread and have even at times been encouraged that it indeed was bread by those around me. It might have been a relationship, a job, an opportunity that seemed good. Praying from my limited view and ugh, even out of my own greed if I’m honest, it appeared to be bread…I wanted it to be bread. It looked like bread, smelled like bread and yet in God’s goodness He spared me. Spared me from a stone. From a prayer that if left to my own desired outcome would have been less good, less transformational, less than His best for me.
For me the understanding rarely comes immediately, that is why historical context is so important. Reflecting on the past prayers, past pursuits when Plan A that was fiercely prayed for turned into Plan C. When the swirl of disappointment, confusion, pain and even at time anger gently dissolved into greater understanding as time passed and faith grew because Christ nurtured it. And when understanding was lacking, His sufficient grace was abundant.
If you are a Believer our circumstances haven’t changed who God is and how He relates to His children. He’s good. He wants good for us. He sees what we can’t comprehend and offers us peace beyond understanding because He knows our human understanding is limited to this space and time between our earthly birth and death.
Are you sitting in a Plan C? Are you feeling like you’ve been bypassed with the bread and are surrounded by stones? It’s difficult and quite honestly a challenging truth when you’re in the middle of feeling forced to Plan C while Plan A still lingers in the rearview mirror.
We’re driving forward right now. Looking ahead to Plan C, tempted to linger on what Plan A could have been, still looks and feels like from the rearview mirror. Each mile that I inch forward I begin to see small glimpses of Plan C being something that is beginning to emerge like protection, mercy, grace and potential that I hadn’t seen even 24 hours ago.
Driving forward and leaving our Plan A, along with our Plan B, on the pavement behind us I still struggle a bit. So today I remember those prayers for stones that God protected me from, the stones I was convinced at the time were bread. I’m recalling the nourishing bread that was given instead. The protection from things I may never know, and circumstances lived that I still don’t understand.
That perspective from the past, of seeing His gracious hand at work even in trials for my good and for His glory fuels me forward to Plan C. Forward with a bit more curiosity will be, anticipation of the good to come and confidence in His sovereign goodness.
If you know someone who is walking in a plan they didn’t pray for, don’t dismiss their experience or emotion. Be the friend who reminds them they are not alone nor left without resources when they feel dismayed with detours. Remind them that their good Father is at work on their behalf and that you will wait together on the bread that is promised.
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