Just what is the plan?

We went to the Country Track meet championship this evening. Which means -- YEA -- that track is over. Not that I'm glad, or anything. G's team came in 4th (out of 5 teams -- frown), but his shuttle hurdle relay team got second by a hair and third in 4 x 200 relay. This was his team's fastest shuttle hurdle relay time ever, so that's good, too.

We stopped with the team at Johnny's on the way home to celebrate the end of the season a really good season. I've been tossing ideas for a post around in my head today, but hadn't settled on one yet. All of the parents were sitting together, talking, when one of them, who is a track parent, but also a teacher, told a story of an event that had happened to her at school this year. I won't go into the details, but it was very stressful and just horrible for her. In the middle of these six weeks or so, someone told her, "God has a reason for giving you this cross to bear." She responded, "Well, it's getting really heavy." She went on to explain to us that without God she wouldn't have gotten through what happened. Without God, she wouldn't have been able to continue to teach through the turmoil, and to stand up for what she believed was right.

I've heard people make comments like this women's "friend," and I just don't understand it. I'm positive that comments like this are meant to be a comfort, but I think what I would hear, if this were said to me, would be, "I know this burden is heavy, and is weighing you down, but you should be glad that God (who is your Father, has your best interests at heart, and loves you like no other) has a plan. I know you feel crushed by this weight, but take heart, God is doing it to you." Comfort? No!

I think we want to find comfort in the idea that God is in control. I do believe that He is, but maybe not in the way that is implied in this woman's comment. When the world is crazy, makes no sense, and seems chaotic (who am I kidding -- is chaotic), we think that we would be comforted by the idea that God is moving the chess pieces. We want to know that God can see a "master plan" when we feel like there is no plan.

There is a plan, I believe. First I want to tell you what I think the plan is NOT. God did not place this burden on this teacher -- an angry, difficult to handle parent did. It's awful; it's horrible, and it's not the way that God planned for it to be. I don't understand how the burden could be made to feel lighter with the knowledge that God has placed it there. He didn't.

God's plan is seen in the rest of the teacher's comments -- she wouldn't have gotten through it as well as she did if it hadn't been for God. That's the plan. God is with us through the horrible, awful things that happen to us. He's with us when the burdens are placed there by other people, and he's even with us when there is no one to blame at all. His plan was (and is) to get her through it. It's grace; it's a gift; and it's a comfort.

Image: Another track meet sky (although not tonight -- this is a Kentucky sky)