"I know the plans that I have for you..."

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.
~ Jeremiah 29:11

This morning the wind is from the north, and the air is crisp.  Our neighbor's oak has all but held onto the last of it's leaves, but it's apparent that it will only take a few more gusts, and the tree will have lost the battle.  Winter is approaching.  It becomes darker sooner in the evening.  A new season and chapter is about to begin.

"I know the plans I have for you," from Jeremiah seems to be reminding me that with the new season, hope still remains.  If there was ever a scripture so filled with hope and love, it may very well be this one.

God knows each of us. When I consider all the things that happens in the world, God still has a plan for each of us.

While we seem to get caught up in the trappings of the world, and perhaps the loss of one season as another emerges, God still has a plan full of hope and peace.

Even when there doesn't seem to be an answer for the "why's," God still has a future.  

Yesterday I spent time with a woman who shared that the "only thing," she seems to be able to do is get out of bed long enough to change her clothes.  As we shared, I reminded her that even in what used to be a small task, great things are happening now.  She is still moving forward.

While I am not a huge believer that everything that happens to us is part of God's plan, simply because I am surrounded by people, including myself, who make choices that effect me each day, I do however, believe that within each moment there is the choice for us to believe in God for the plans we may have.

For this, I am always grateful.  May this knowledge bring comfort to each of us.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2019