Sometimes it seems that if we look really hard, we can see enough of our own future to feel confident that we know where our lives are headed. But how many of us have also looked back in time, and noticed again and again how things turned out differently than we expected—yet somehow with a far better outcome than the one we thought we wanted?

This is God’s Universe, an “interactive” Universe. So, even as we weigh each of our choices and decisions carefully, in the end, the Universe contains a Divine Plan that weaves us into a much bigger picture. Being human, we usually don’t have all the facts or elements that are in play, so it is not easy to get a good “view” of the Big Picture from within ourselves alone. Yet somehow, over time, we see that everything was in place and fit perfectly.

The Divine Plan contains all of the rewards as well as all of the lessons to be learned here on Earth. The dark or rough times are not always easy to get through. We fear we’ve been forgotten, or worse, we’re being punished. We wonder why life is so challenging sometimes. But when times feel difficult, we are being given an opportunity to learn faith, patience, kindness, and ways to overcome adversity.

When we surrender to God’s Plan, we let go of feeling that we need to control everything that happens to us. Letting go of control gives us a sense of freedom that washes over us and leaves us feeling hopeful and secure. We feel a kind of innocent anticipation, as we wait to see what the Bigger Plan is. This is not to say that we should remain passive; we still have to place one foot in front of the other and move ourselves in the direction that we want to go. But by loosening our grip on a specific outcome, we open the door to possibility and joyful surprise.

In my own lifetime, I have had to learn the lesson of God’s Plan a number of times before I finally realized that I didn’t know “everything,” and that Divine Wisdom really did have a much better idea of what I needed. One such time was when my husband Tony and I lived in San Francisco with our very young children. We wanted to sell our small home and move to north to Marin County, California, to be closer to nature. Each Sunday, we awoke at the crack of dawn to clean the house to spotlessness for a real estate open house. This was a difficult task, as our daughter was only 2 ½ and our son was a very small baby. Much of the furniture and many toys were in storage to minimize clutter and make the house more attractive. We would then pack everyone into the car and head out to visit friends, go to the beach, and just stay away until evening. It proved to be an exhausting process and went on for months. As we looked at homes in Marin, they seemed priced out of our range and we couldn’t buy anyway until our San Francisco home sold.

Finally, one night, on the verge of tears, Tony and I sat together and said a prayer. We told God that we were too tired to go on. It must not be meant to be for us to move at that time. We said that we were willing to stay in our small house and make it work. We even discussed how space could be used better. “God,” we said, “You must have other ideas for us. We don’t know what they are yet, but we’re turning all of our worries and struggles over to You. If You want us to stay here, we’ll stay.”

The very next morning we got a call from our realtor, telling us she had an offer on the house—at our asking price. The buyer adored the home, she said. We quickly called our Marin realtor to give her the good news. “You won’t believe this,” she sounded incredulous. “I was just going to call and let you know that there’s a house about to be listed, in the area you want, and its way below market value! We can put an offer in before anyone else even knows about it!”

So we got a home in the area we loved. Until that time, all other houses were either just not right for us or priced too high. If our San Francisco home had sold a day earlier, we would not have been able to afford what we wanted in Marin County. The timing of the Universe and Divine Wisdom was perfect.

The Universe is good, and we get to be a part of that—the Goodness that is both Earth and Heaven. So when we feel despair, we can connect to God in prayer and breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that as God’s Plan unfolds, more will be revealed to us, and eventually we will know the Truth of a Divine Plan.

I Surrender to a Bigger Plan
I close my eyes and give thanks.
I know You’re always watching over me, God.
You have a perfect plan for me.
I let go of my worries and fears,
And hold the Truth that is Your Love.
Amen.