2002
The Voice: Fall 2002
The best laid plans . . .
For a recent trip I used an internet mapping program to help me find my way to a series of meetings. I found my way to the first address without any difficulty, except that the address was a home, not the church I was supposed to be at. During another portion of my trip I had the distinct feeling, which was later confirmed, that the route mapped out was hardly the most direct one. A careful reading of a map would have revealed that, but I chose to rely on the mapping program instead of my own instincts. Lesson learned.
So it is in life. When I learned that the Student Union Building would be demolished I thought alumni might be interested in having a piece of Dordt College (besides student loan statements or paid-up tuition bills) as a memento. And what represents Dordt better than the red brick that faces nearly every building? But that idea went over like, well, a ton of bricks. One huge thud.
But the mailboxes—now there’s a piece of the past that brings back all sorts of warm fuzzy memories. And wouldn’t it be innovative to sell them on-line—so everyone could have equal opportunity to get their box number? Imagine my delight at finding a website where you could host your own auction—at no charge. Our in-house testing worked great. (We had quite the spirited bidding in our office.) The day came to post all 600 boxes on-line. We posted and waited for the bids to roll in. Only what we got were messages—polite and patient—wondering why it was taking so long to get a password in order to bid? By the end of the first week we realized that it was not likely that all the alums wanting to bid were going to get their own password. Thankfully, we did have one working password through which we could submit bids. A bit of a detour, but in the end, we arrived.
Maybe your life hasn’t taken the path you thought it would when you left Dordt College. Maybe you haven’t ended up where you thought you would, or maybe the path to your current situation was a lot more wandering than you expected. Knowing God’s plans for our lives isn’t as easy as finding a Bible verse that lays it all out for us. Nor are his plans always so neat. Responding obediently to our calling is a life-long process of assessing your gifts, expanding your knowledge and skills, and always being in tune with the Lord’s desires. The journey may be challenging or frustrating; rocky at times, smooth at others. But the journey, too, is part of the plan—shaping us into the persons God calls us to be. Wherever God calls you, I hope you see the journey, as well as the destination, as part of his unfolding purpose in your life.
