God’s big plans for me

By Vionah Githinji

I am a young mother, if 10 years in parenting is to be called young, and I can assure you that there are days I have lacked sleep over my children’s tomorrow. Being a parent means I get to plan out stuff for them — them, are 2 girls aged 10 and 5. They have needs, wants and desires, and I get to be the one that decides what is a good need to meet, what desire is to be fulfilled and what want is to be prioritised, when.

Now, I have come to appreciate God as a Father through parenting my girls. Jeremiah 29:11 is not a new scripture to most of us. It says that the Lord knows the plans He has for us — He knows THE PLANS He has for us.

He has plans for me; He has plans for my children, He has plans for my parents, He has plans for my church, friends and family — God has plans, people. He is orchestrating all things for my good, like a master artist. Isn’t that exciting?

He took the time out of His schedule to plan something about our lives, his children. He did not just wing it. Nope! He took time and thought it out then planned it. Maybe He took out his diary and checked what 2036 had in store — what with the economy of that day, the weather forecast in that season and the state/city I will be living in. He took His time and planned that in November of 2036, this is what Vionah will be tackling and I want this and this to be her state and status. Right there, got me feeling all manner of peace and joy. The King of Kings has a plan for me.

The Lord spoke these words to the exiles from Jerusalem through Jeremiah that He KNOWS THE PLANS He has for them and he will prosper them, not harm them but give them a future and hope. At this point in time they were, well, exiles, in a foreign land, having lost their homes and kin in a brutal takeover, but God was telling them he planned good for them. There current situation was not ‘it’.

I rejoice in knowing this great truth of a God who is not only kind but good. Not only good but a father. The same way I lose sleep planning my girls’ lives, he plans mine, without the losing-sleep part.

This verse goes on to say that the plans God has for me are to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a future and a hope. Now, you and I know that we live on hope; none of us knows what is to be a second or minute after now. All we can do is hope that we will get to tomorrow, that we will get to graduate in our studies, get to see our grandchildren and even get back home after a day out in the fields making a living.

It is all based on hope that the tyres of the vehicles we ride are well fixed, the buildings we work in were well planned and the gas cylinders in the kitchens are well made to control themselves and not explode on us. It is all hope that we will walk across a busy street and our legs will not cramp enough to stop us on our tracks. Hope is what we live on and Hope is what encourages us to wake up and try again as who knows, it may be today that we get to meet the client who will tip the scales for those of us in the sales department. You feel me?

The hope we have does not disappoint us because it is on Jesus Christ and because of Jesus Christ. Our hope is solid because Christ died for us and nothing can separate us from his love. God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit so that we can know we are totally and eternally loved by the heavenly Father.

He is one who has a plan that will be accomplished as He is Jehovah Nissi — my banner of victory, my mighty warrior, Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is there. He is all knowing, ever present and always able to do all that He had planned for me.

Think of His plan for Joseph. He could have influenced that plan — of a young boy being bowed unto by his elder brothers. He could have orchestrated it to happen in so many ways but look at how He chose every obstacle and change of course to be in his favour. I believe the well and prison were to challenge the boy into humility. I am one who thinks that if young Joseph had come from his father’s super-loving arms into being Pharaoh’s second in command, the arrogance he would have had would equal to none. If he had not faced trials and tribulations, the young man would have spat in the face of His brothers. But through life’s seemingly hard situations, he was pruned and tuned to the fellow He was when they fell before Him in Egypt.

So when I read about this plan God has come up with, a plan spoken of when the Israelites were in great distress, I am encouraged that even in my pit, in my exile and in my seemingly forgotten state, He Has a plan to prosper me, one to give me a future and a hope.

This plan even has a future; it is not one where I die prematurely. It is not a plan that is hanging, it is one with a future and hope, a plan that will be worth talking about. This sets me moving in a space of mind that is not only relaxed but safe and secure in knowing that as long as I keep my eyes on Him, I keep fighting the good fight of Faith, I am already sorted by one who cannot fail. He is well able to bring to pass that which He planned, no matter what is on my plate currently. Amen.

Vionah is an audio visual journalist, story teller and mum.