A careful plan isn't always well thought through.

     We, as people, love to see things happen, come to fruition, be complete or finished.  So, we, with our finite wisdom and finite abilities, tend to make a plan.  Sometimes the plan isn't complex and sometimes the plan is like instructions on how to put together a piece of furniture from another country.  Most of the time we do have a plan whether it be something we think about or throw together at the last moment.  For those of you who, like me, like to "wing it" we too have a plan even if it's unfolding only as we are doing what it is we are doing.  Then there are the "Radicals"!  Those who have lived long enough, gained enough wisdom and experienced enough of life to sit back and wait on the Lord.  When he says "go" the saint "goes".  That's the plan.
     "I didn't plan on this happening."  Translation: "I'm not prepared."
     "Planning is for wimps."  Translation: "I don't have a clue what I am doing."
     Fail to plan and your plan will fail.  Wise words.  The act of planning is actually in the preparation and not the execution.  What we do to prepare for the plan is vital to it's success.  Preparation is vital even when we don't need to be planning anything.  For instance, we know we need food in the house to cook dinner.  The preparation for the meal plan is to have food available.  Again, we need to have gas in the car to go anywhere.  The preparation is for the car to always have gas in it "just in case."  Without gas (this is to those who leave the car on empty) there is no plan that will work involving driving any distance.  Telling our children to call 911 if they have an emergency and we are not around is worthless if there is no telephone.  Fail to plan and your plan will fail.  Preparation is important in every aspect of your life.
     Flying by the seat of my pants has been a good metaphor of my life.  Yes, I confess that I don't plan everything that happens in my life or the lives of those associated with me.  Yet, there remains a high success rate of my having worked this way in my life's situations.  Why?  Partly because of my preparation and fully because God has orchestrated the preparation part of the equation.  I didn't plan to talk to that store clerk about the Lord when I unloaded my groceries on the counter.  But God did.  His preparation was in my history.  He's led me to the point so many times in my life that I know that the plan and preparation are in place to plant a seed at the very least.  The Bible says that when spoken the Word of God will never return void.  That means that something will happen to bring about God's plan and that's why he prepared you and I to do something.
     The first part of a good plan is preparation.  The second part of a good plan is to do something!  If you plan to do something but do nothing the plan is worthless.  Likewise, if you do something thinking you have a plan but don't; something will only happen by accident.  It's been said that: "All that is required for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."  So true.  We live in a fallen world where "good men" all around us do nothing even though they could.  Sometimes that has been true about me as well.  So, what's the secret to doing something?  Simple.  Action.  Do!  Stop thinking about it, analyzing it, parting it out, or trying to manage it.  Simply do it.  To know what to do and not do it is a sin.  To do something you know what you are not to do is sin.  Is this a damned if you do and damned if you don't quandary?
     Surprisingly God has an answer (App if you will) for that.  God says in the Sermon on the Mount that he wants us to be Him to the world.  God gives simple instructions:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might.  And love your neighbor as yourself.  Simple.  How do we do this?  Not by memorizing the Bible.  Not by staying in our churches and prayer closets.  Not by thinking someone else more qualified will do it.  God say, get out of the way and let me work My plan through you.  Surrender your will, thinking, and planning to Him for THE plan he has.  Submit yourself to the preparation by prayer, reading the Word, and by being together with the people of God.  Then go into the world and let Jesus tumble out when prompted by the Holy Spirit.  We don't need to be everything to everyone.  We need to be Jesus to others in the capacity of their need.  God will do the rest.  Don't think to hard on this one.  It's His plan we should seek.