Scissors, Surprises, and Surrender

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

Well, I didn’t see that coming.

I was driving home from running a few errands when my husband sent me a picture of our 4-year-old son. My jaw dropped.

Right down the middle of his blonde hair was a perfectly bald 3-inch patch. Gone. Just gone.

I didn’t even call. I decided it was better to wait and find out what had happened in person. As it turns out, my husband had given our son scissors during his quiet time to cut construction paper.

Unfortunately, our son got bored with the paper and moved on—to his own head. And, in case you’re wondering, he also gave his fuzzy white blanket a trim. It must have needed one, too.

Of course. You plan a peaceful afternoon, and instead, you come home to a child with a reverse mohawk and a newly layered blanket.

As funny as this story is now, it’s a small picture of a deeper truth found in Proverbs 19:21, a deeper truth I need to be reminded of often:

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

We can make schedules, plan activities, and organize our days, but life has a way of cutting right through the middle of all that order, doesn’t it? Still, God's purpose prevails even in the messy, the unexpected, and the half-haircut moments.

Friend, be encouraged. God is not undone when your plans fall apart because that’s exactly when His plans are falling into place. I know it may not seem that way in the moment, but there is purpose woven into every perceived detour.

He reigns, and best of all, God isn’t asking you to have it all figured out. He’s asking you to be a surrendered follower who looks to the One who does.

Let my son’s mishap (that quickly turned into a buzz cut) serve as a reminder for you, as it did for me, that our God is in control.

He doesn’t waste a moment, even the ones you weren’t expecting.

Reflect:

1. How do you typically respond when your plans don't go as planned?

2. What do you need to release to the Lord today?

3. Pray: Lord, thank you for being a calm and steady presence when life feels anything but those things. Help me to exhale as I surrender my plans to you. Give me wisdom and discernment. Help me remember that not a moment is wasted. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.