“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.”
Proverbs 19:21(RSV)
I made an appointment in November, to have my mechanic order and install four new tires for my car. We scheduled the date, I put it in my phone calendar and the plan was made. I like planning ahead, and being a planner can be an asset, but at times it can become a liability. We, who are planners, are easily thrown off balance when things don’t flow as we expected.
Mark is one of four residents at the Nursing Home who I regularly visit each week when I go to see my son. He recently had cataract surgery, which failed, leaving debris floating throughout his eye. He is a kind man with a strong faith in God, but when his cataract surgery failed, he was visibly worried and anxious. He has a history of depression and he told me that he was slipping back into it. I tried to encourage him that it will all be okay, and prayed with him a few times.
The doctor scheduled him for a corrective one hour procedure called a vitrectomy. Mark told me that his procedure was going to be done at the hospital where I used to work, so I planned to visit him in the pre-operative area, before he goes to surgery that day, which he was happy to hear.
When he finally received the date for his surgery it was on the exact day of my tire appointment. I asked the Lord, if He wanted me to be able to visit Mark before his surgery, to work everything out according to His perfect timing.
I was to drop off my car at 8:30 am and Mark’s surgery was scheduled for 12 noon. It sounded like it could all work out. My only doubt was that my mechanic, who is honest and highly skilled, tends to work very slowly. I hoped he would be done by 11:30 so that I could get to the hospital in time to visit Mark. I prayed every day leading up to that day, for God’s perfect timing.
Every obstacle contrary to my plans seemed to happen that day. The mechanic didn’t finish until 11:48, and as I was driving to the hospital, the road was completely blocked due to construction. I took the detour route and still arrived at the hospital by 12:00 noon. I was wondering if he would still be there or would already be taken to surgery.
I rushed to the pre-operative area, praying for God’s timing. When I arrived, he wasn’t there, because he was in the area of ambulatory surgery, further down the hall, where eye procedures are done. I rushed down the hall to that pre-surgery area, thinking that nothing at all is going according to my plans.
At this point, I whispered under my breath, “Lord, if this is all part of your perfect timing, I’m gonna have a very good story to tell.”
At 12:20 I finally arrived at the correct pre-op area and they told me that Mark was still there. It turned out that his surgery was delayed until 1 pm, due to a previous case in that operating room. I should have known that surgeries never go on time unless it’s the first case of the day. Better yet, I should have known that God’s timing was at work all along. Mark and I had time to talk and he seemed calmer.
Even with all the bumps along the way, everything went according to God’s perfect timing. It turned out that the nurse who came to take him to surgery was someone I once worked with and we greeted each other with a big hug. Mark knew he was in good hands and was taken to surgery in perfect peace.
Just as the word of God says, many are the plans in our minds, but the purpose of the Lord always prevails. It’s always best to seek God’s purpose first. When we think our plans are being derailed, we need to remind ourselves that God’s timing is always perfect.
Lord, thank you for listening to our plans, but help us to remember that your timing and purpose always prevails, because You know best. Amen
