It was one of those days for Jack, our dog, that kept his eyes shining and tail wagging — until I told him it was time to go. We were at one of his favorite places to run and play. He often met other dogs there, some old friends and some new. On this particular day he met a white terrier named Henry. I walked around the field with Henry’s owner while he and Jack ran in large circles taking turns chasing each other. Seeing them having so much fun was sheer delight. As we completed a second time around the field, and neared the place where our car was parked, I said goodbye to Henry and his owner and told Jack it was time to go. His normally curled up tail drooped down into a straight line. He looked into my eyes with his own longing ones. I knew he wanted to stay and play, but I also knew it was best for him to follow my plan. You see, I knew something Jack didn’t know.
Three of his human friends, painters on the estate where we live, would be looking for Jack at a certain time we had agreed upon. They loved Jack and Jack loved them, too. They would get on the ground and wrestle with Jack, and they always had a treat for him in their pockets. Back at the park, Jack was giving me that, “pleeeease let me stay,” look, but I said no. I hooked him to his leash and led a dejected Jack back to the car. He sat staring mournfully out the window. When we arrived back home, instead of taking him inside, I walked him around the lake where we live, taking him to the other side. There were the painters unloading their work van. They saw Jack at the same he saw them. Oh, what joy! I laughed at the sudden tangle of painters and Jack playing happily on the ground. Jack’s disappointment at leaving the park was all forgotten.
Don’t you and I do the same thing at times in regard to where our Heavenly Father leads us? We may be thoroughly enjoying where we are and what we are doing at some given moment. Then, with no warning, the situation changes. Our world suddenly seems to be turned upside down. We want to stay where we are, but our Father is definitely opening doors that lead in an entirely different direction. We may feel dejected. We may feel angry. We may feel forgotten or like our own desires don’t matter, but I encourage each one of us to remember the truth of Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ said the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster. to give you a future and a hope.'”
Your loving Father in Heaven cares deeply for your future, whether it’s one hour from now or a year away. His plans are without mistake. They are always for your good, even when you don’t understand the ‘whys’ of His leading. Remember, His plans for you bring inner peace, joy immeasurable, develop strength and courage, and plant wisdom within you as you experience His leading. You and I can’t see around the corner of our tomorrows or even into the next hour, but God sees all. He knows your every minute yet to come. There will be joyful mountaintop experiences and there will be lonely, tearful times in the valley, but in each moment, your Father is there. He has already planned your next step and He is with you all the way.
“He knows where I am going, and when He tests me, I will come out as pure gold, for I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed His ways and not turned aside (Job 23:10-11NLT).”