WHEN YOU PRAY AND PLAN AND STILL FAIL
‘Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed.’ Proverbs 16:3
I’ve always made planning a priority. Maybe not in every area, like schoolwork — but for the things that mattered most to me — SPORTS!
⚾️ My freshman year of high school I was planning. My plan was to not just make the baseball team but I wanted to play varsity. Which basically means, I was 13 years old and dreaming of playing against 18 year olds.
I knew if I wanted to play with the best — I had to train like the best. I didn’t make the varsity team during the fall season, but I knew I had a shot at spring. So, during the winter (I grew up on the south side of Chicago — so yah, Chicago winters), in the snow, I would put on my cleats — and run sprints. I did whatever I knew to do — to plan and train, so I was ready.
When spring ball came around — a bunch of varsity baseball players got suspended (A little case of under age drinking). And guess who was ready — THIS F’N GUY. I was promoted to varsity and never looked back.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” — Alan Lakein
That was a time when planning worked out.
But what about when your plans DON’T work out?
📈 I had a plan the last couple years to grow some money in stocks and futures. Many of you may know the full story (you can read it here) but for those who don’t — I’ll sum it up.
I had mentors and coaches. I took courses and invested thousands on my education. I traded futures, bonds, stocks and options for nearly 12 years. For the most part I made money. And, I was doing really, really well; until Covid-19 showed up.
I lost it all in a matter of moments. All the planning, all the prayers to God, all my hopes and dreams — F’N DECIMATED!
I can’t tell you how many times during the course of the year that I would pray. I would say, “Lord, this is what I know to do — I’m believing this to be something that you bless so I can bless others.” Other times I would pray, “I know this is the thing that is in my hand so I can fulfill what’s in my heart.” These were dream prayers. Basically, I was trying to create more income to be a better blessing to others and my family.
AND I STILL F’N LOST IT ALL.
That’s when this verse in Proverbs stabs, cuts and twists 🩸 you in the heart 💜. That’s when I have to say — “it’s God’s plan.” I can make and plan and invite as much wisdom as I can — but it’s still in God’s hands. If you can rest KNOWING THAT … then you got it. Praying and walking with God is not perfect. Not everything goes your way — in fact, many times it can feel the opposite.
It sucks — but as you know, trials and 💩 days are coming. They come for us all. No one is invincible. Now, it’s all about how you bounce back.
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill
You succeed when you trust God — not when you’re plan succeeds. That is a really hard thing to grab. You are not your success or failure. You are the trust you put in God. It sounds super F’D UP.
And that is how your plans will never fail. Because you know it’s up to God and not you.
