by Ever have plans laid out perfectly and then something happens and God throws a monkey wrench into things? No matter what happens, the carefully planned out plans will never play out as anticipated?
We purchased a minivan years ago to start deputation and raise our support to come to New Zealand. We only had the vehicle for a few days, then it rained and we used the wiper blades. It was obvious the previous owners had used heavy wax on the vehicle; because the windshield was smeared with each swipe of the wiper blades. At the time, we only had $600 per month income. Lewis and I knew we did not have the money to replace the windshield, and we also knew we could not travel with the windshield smeared in rainy weather. A few days later, the van had engine problems. Now, we were getting concerned with the used vehicle we had bought. “Did we buy a lemon?” was our first thought. Lewis called the salesman and he agreed to fix the engine issues. On the day Lewis was supposed to pick up our van, Lewis called the auto repair shop. He was told the engine was repaired, but a repair man had thrown a wrench through our windshield and broke it. The repair shop was going to replace the glass at their cost. I have to admit, we were sorry for the repair shop, but we were so thankful to God that he had taken care of our issue with a glazed over windshield.
This is how awesome God works. We lay out our plans, he throws a monkey wrench into things, and if we are patient and wait on God, he shows us his miraculous plans. Years ago, a preacher made the comment, “The hardest thing we ever will do in life is wait on God.” This has proven to be true my whole life. God’s ways are not our ways. Like teaching our children, sometimes we make them wait and trust us. This helps them to see the whole plan we or God has for them. God is the same way. To teach us patience and to help us see his plan for each day, we have to wait patiently for God’s plans to be revealed in our daily lives.
My Elizabeth had a wonderful summer job experience working at a local hydroelectric power plant in 2019-2020. All this came from a mistake or should I say, “A monkey wrench thrown into things.” Several years prior, she was doing a science project. I was emailing someone at the power plant to plan a school field trip. We showed up at the electrified fence on the appointed day. A rough looking man came through the sliding gate, walked over to our car, and asked, “What are you doing here?” I pulled out my printed email, pointed to the email, and explained we were here for a tour of the power plant. He kindly pointed to the date. I looked and saw I was exactly one week early. Elizabeth was so embarrassed I thought she would crawl under the seat. This rough looking man was now starting to show a dry sense of humor. He grinned and said, “I am not busy at the moment and if you do not mind, I’ll give you the tour now. The tour you are planned on is with a large group of people next week.” Elizabeth perked up and we went on our personal two-hour tour. That man later became her boss during her summer work experience. I constantly remind her, she got this job because God threw a monkey wrench into things several years prior and had me show up one week early for the school field trip. What a blessing she could experience God taking several years to work out a special plan for her to have an awesome summer job.
Romans 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
God is our strength through the wrenches in life. Whether it is a wrench thrown in short-term goals or life-long goals, next time God changes the plan, wait patiently through the change. See what God is doing. When God throws a monkey wrench into the plans, build something new. Forget the old plans and live God’s new plans. His plans for our lives are always better.
