Plans and Rainstorms

Whew. It's been a whole week since I blogged. That tells you how busy it's been. Today ended our Science Camp and I had a whole post planned with pictures and everything to show you how it went. But God had planned a different post and let me in on the secret on the way home today. Science Camp pictures to come soon.

I love it when God teaches you things by words that come out of your own mouth. Like when you're not even expecting Him.

Last week, I was helping plan the lessons for our VBS. ****Spoiler alert: For those Memorial (Houston, not Edmond) readers out there, I'm about to spoil the VBS points. Read ahead at your own risk.**** We're studying Noah and needed a different "lesson" for each night. Maybe it's because I've grown up as the daughter of two frequent public speakers, but I came up with things right off the bat.
Each night as its own point:
1. God's plan is bigger than us.
2. God's plan works.
3. God's plan takes time.
4. God's plan is good.

As I'm saying these 4 points out loud, it feels like I have had the breath knocked out of me.

"Karissa? Are you there? Are you listening to the words coming out of your mouth? Are you living like you believe those words?"

Nope. Not at all. I'm in a constant state of worry about how I'm going to survive the rest of my summer without my friends. Or how I'm going to convince myself to eat a proper meal. Or how I'm going to manage this or that relationship. Or how. Or how. Or how.

Today as I was getting on I-10 to start the drive home, there was SO much traffic. Now, it's Houston so that's not a completely unusual thing. But it was 4:20. And it is never stopped where I get on to head back. But it was stopped today. So I just assume there was a wreck. Well I finally make it on to the highway in the horrible stop-and-go traffic and notice some smoke rising up ahead. But it looks like it is taking up the entire 10 or 12 lane highway. As I got closer, I realized it was rain not smoke. However, it was 100% dry where I was at. So I keep driving and eventually make it into the middle of this rainstorm. It is POURING. No wonder traffic was stopped! It's the kind of rain where it's hard to see in front of you. About 2 minutes after I enter this storm, the sun starts shining. And I mean shining. I can't possibly describe to you how bright it was while it was STILL pouring. A few minutes later, I pulled out of the rain and onto a completely dry road.

The whole experience was bizarre. It was completely dry all day long at work. Completely dry all day long at home. But for that 5-10 minutes, it was pouring amidst sunshine.

God tapped at my heart again as I thought how bizarre it all was. God has a plan. And, just like that little rainstorm, it often doesn't make sense to me. Well. It hardly ever makes sense to me. In my own stupidity, I usually think that I somehow know better than the all-powerful being that created me and that I can handle my life in a much better fashion than He ever could. How incredibly wrong I am.

God's plan is bigger than me. It really does work. It often takes so much time. But, in the end, it is so good.

As I was writing that last sentence, I heard the sounds of rain on the roof of my house. I went to the window and, sure enough! It's as sunshiny as can be, but man oh man is it pouring.