February

Plans? What plans? Or should I ask, Whose plans?  

    The verse from Proverbs 16:9 has been true before in my life, and this week was even more proof that "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps" (NLT). I know it is not bad to make plans, it is even commended elsewhere in the Bible, but this verse reminds all of us that God is the one who ultimately determines each of our steps.

       I had plans to start my formal language classes in early March, but when I went to register for class, we (my friend and great helper, Tatjana) discovered that the next class didn't start until the very end of March! This was not good for many reasons (I would miss my home church's English camp here, it would be a long two months with no classes, and the end of March is just not good anyways with the anniversary of Adam's death). However, a class had started that afternoon. Tatjana called the university and we rushed into town to register, find the class and get my book, and I started class the next afternoon. God is good! Gott ist gut!

        In the beginning of the week I also thought I knew what apartment I would be living in. Well, that changed too! Now, instead of being in a high rise (8th floor 'penthouse', but without the James Bond coolness), I will be on the 4th floor of a house style apartment building. There is even a family from the church that lives on one of the lower levels. This apartment is a bit further away from my school than the first one, but it is closer to a large park and the city center.  

        So my plans that I had so carefully made for this week, and this month even, are trashed, and God is showing me what steps to take. But not surprisingly, the steps he is directing me to take are much better than the plans I made for myself.