Not What I Planned

I know I can pretty much speak on behalf of all of us that 2020 has been nothing like we could have imagined when that clock struck midnight January first. If you’re anything like me, you made plans this year—plans you have yet to see unfold. Plans you aren’t even sure will even come to pass.

As we head into the last days of what has been a trying year for everyone around the globe, I am drawn to Luke’s account in the Scriptures, the story of Mary and the incredible life she brought into this world, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

It is easy for us to skip to the end and see the outcome of this story without once even acknowledging the days, weeks, even months leading up to this powerful moment in history; but. If you allow me just a moment of your time today, I would love to draw your attention to what is probably one of the greatest tales of a “change of plans” the world has ever known.

Picture it - The Angel of the Lord has just left Mary’s presence. Mary is stunned. Her mind is racing. She looks as if she has just seen a ghost. And yet all she can do is place both hands on her flat belly, mesmerized by a prophesy that is to be fulfilled in and through her in just a matter of nine months. Can you imagine how she must have felt in that moment?

Wonder. Bewilderment. Thrill. And yes, fear.

Even the angel recognized that emotion in her. Her response had poured directly from her heart. “Let it be to me according to your word.” And as she thought of that moment, she now recognized exactly what that meant. This was not something she had on the agenda today—or ever—but surrender was her choice.

Deep breath. “You can do this, Mary. You must do this.” Tears—but tears of joy. A smile filled her lips as the tears ran down her cheeks. “Thank you, Yahweh.” From there, she never looked back.

But.

Have you ever imagined what her family must have thought? Her friends, her neighbors? Seeing a pregnant young woman, without a husband in those days was bad enough, but one who was betrothed? Worse.

Ahh. But God. You see… He had already taken care of it. And Joseph being the good man that he was took Mary as his wife, led her through this never-before-has-happened, never-again-will-be, whirlwind of a journey, and lovingly waited for her to bring Jesus into this world before He knew her as his wife. I could end right there and we could all go about our days feeling all the feels after seeing a man’s man love his woman well, am I right?! But wait. It gets better.

Nine months.

I love to consider the possibility of what might have gone on during Mary’s pregnancy. I can picture her sitting there with Joseph talking and then suddenly feeling a kick, only to quickly reach for his hand and place it on her now, well-swollen belly for him to feel it too. I can see them laughing and dreaming of what it will be like to bring this miracle into the world in the comfort of their small home, already making plans for the midwife to come once it’s time to deliver.

And then… a knock at the door. A decree has been given. They have no choice but to travel to Joseph’s hometown. Talk about bad timing!... or was it? For prophesy, again, was being fulfilled.

So they made the journey. And as we well know, Mary began going into labor as soon as they arrived. The inns were full, and Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable with Joseph there to deliver him. Talk about unplanned, but God had a plan all along.

We know that this was just the beginning. The Savior would grow to be a man like no other, fulfilling the will of His Father, ultimately dying a cruel death only to rise again just three days later. In a span of thirty-three years, I often wonder what Mary really knew about her Son. I cannot help but think she had so many dreams, plans, and ideas for Him as His mother, but His purpose was to follow His Father. It’s a staggering thought, isn’t it?

You see, I would wager that if you were to sit down with Mary and ask her about the plans she had for her life, she would loving tell you in her flawed humanity, “None of it was what I had planned.” Yet she would immediately follow up with, “But God had a greater plan.” And that, my friend, is what strikes me the most.

In the middle of an ordinary day during an ordinary year, an angel made a visit to a young woman. The outcome? Not what she had planned.

In the middle of the night, in a dream, an angel appeared to validate the pregnancy of a man’s fiancée. The outcome? Not what he had planned.

In the middle of a third trimester, an abrupt decree was sent out to call a couple to days of unexpected travel. The outcome? Not what they had planned.

And on a night in a city with no vacancy in sight, a mother gave birth to her firstborn Son in a stable, shepherds came from the hills to see the baby, a star led three wise men—maybe more—with gifts on a journey, and angels filled the sky to welcome the newborn King. The outcome? Not what anyone had planned.

But whoah, what a story:

Friend, I sincerely have no idea what this year has looked like for you. I cannot fathom the difficulty of what you have endured the last several months. And I know that none of this was in your plans. With that, I can certainly relate. But I want to encourage you.

Sometimes in the middle of our unpredicted year and hopeless circumstances with seemingly no end in sight, sometimes in the midst of unfulfilled plans, unmet expectations, and suspended intentions, only then can God make way for a plan that is greater than anything we could have ever proposed.

And just as He was there to lovingly guide a young couple who had no idea what to expect or what their lives would look like, surrounded by chaos and uncertainty, He is there for you, even if it’s not what you had planned.

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About the author: Tiffani Patino

Tiffani Patino is a writer with a passion for sharing the love of God through the powerful words she shares on her Instagram account.