Getting into the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law is still one of the highlights of my life. I had done my undergrad in Nigeria, so moving abroad for postgraduate studies was a bold step, and I was so excited.
As a planner (the A-type personality kind), I had everything mapped out. I’m the type of person who writes a to-do list just to feel the joy of ticking things off, even if I’ve already done them.
So naturally, once I arrived in Toronto, I hit the ground running. I made new friends, got into the rhythm of classes, and before first semester ended, my friend and I already bought our graduation dresses and scouted the perfect photo spot for our graduation photos. It was right in front of the big Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square, and we had organized every detail of our photoshoot.
Except nothing went as planned.
The first semester went well, but then came second semester, and trouble with it.
One morning, at 6 a.m., my rang. I’m not a morning person, so I ignored!
But my friend kept calling. When I finally picked up, I was met with a shaky, anxious voice. Something was wrong.
Our grades were out. My friend had failed.
I rushed to check mine, and I had failed too.
I couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t the plan.
I hurriedly emailed the professor and secured an appointment for later that day, hoping, and praying, she had made a mistake with my grades.
We met the professor that afternoon and received even worse news: we would have to repeat the entire semester in the fall, meaning we’d graduate a whole year later. The worst part? There would be no graduation ceremony.
Our fancy dresses and the entire photoshoot?
All went poof.
I remember sitting on my dorm floor, crying and throwing a tantrum at God.
“How could You let this happen? I’ve always been a straight-A student. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me.”
And in one of those tantrum moments, God led me to James 4:13-16 TPT
13 - Listen, those of you who are boasting, Today or tomorrow we’ll go to another city and spend some time and go into business and make heaps of profit!
14 - But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!
15 Instead you should say, “Our tomorrows are in the Lord’s hands and if he is willing we will live life to its fullest and do this or that.”
16 But here you are, boasting in your ignorance, for to be presumptuous about what you’ll do tomorrow is evil!
I had never seen this in the bible before, and instantly I felt convicted. I realized how foolish I had been to plan my entire year without acknowledging and involving God and there’s James saying for me to be presumptuous about what I would do tomorrow without acknowledging God is evil!
For a planner like me, this hit Hard!
See, I’m always planning. As a mum, I’m constantly thinking ahead, what the family will eat for the week, the next birthday party, the next doctor’s appointment, and everything in between. So when something spontaneous happens or my day doesn’t go as planned, it completely throws me off.
But what I am learning from these verses is that while planning is good, we must learn to plan within the confines of God’s will. When we plan, we must make space for God to interrupt them. Planning isn’t wrong. But it becomes dangerous when we put our plans above God’s will.
Jesus is a perfect example; in the garden of gethsemane, he prayed, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
The Bible says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Instead of boasting about tomorrow, we ought to say, “If the Lord wills.”
Now that is what planning looks like; “Lord, I have made this plan, but not my will but yours be done.”
I don’t know what plans you’ve made that seem to be falling apart, but let me remind you: you are not promised tomorrow. Life isn’t predictable, but God is always faithful.
When your plans derail, it doesn’t mean your life is off course, it might just mean God is interrupting your plans to call your attention to something important or he is rerouting you for something greater and we must always learn to trust him.
So plan, but allow God interrupt your plans!
This has been a read that hit home for me. Everyday I remind myself that I am short sighted and God isn't so the best I can do is to trust in the path he chooses for me ❤️. Thank you Somide for this piece.
Reading this has been thought provoking. I just realized how arrogant and boastful I had been all this while...Lord, may your will be done in my life.