Written By: Shamelia Simpson

I remember it like it was yesterday; it was a hot summer day in 2005; I went to Costco Wholesale Club for groceries, and ended up with a life changing experience. If you have ever been to Costco, you know that they sell from a pin to an anchor. So here I was strolling from aisle to aisle looking for the newest product they had.; there were always pleasant surprises there.

For sure, there was a surprise in store for me that day; it was a wooden journal with a scripture engraved on the front cover; it read:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans of hope and not of evil; plans to give you hope and a bright future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

This was the first time I had ever seen that Scripture in all my life; I could not believe my eyes. You can imagine that I had to take it home with me; and I sure did.

By this time, I was on a new path; I had heard God’s call clearly and knew for sure that my old life was on its way in the past. I was searching for more; more knowledge of God, more wisdom and understanding. I was on a quest, so whatever brought light I was in. I knew that God required worship, faith and obedience, but why He did was still unclear. The verse in Jeremiah brought much clarity for me.

As time passed, my understanding of the reason God requires what He does became clearer. Hmmmm!!! He has plans for me, and for you too. The only way He can fulfill those plans is if I give Him the space and place to guide me. What then gives me this confidence that I can trust God to live on His terms? After all; He created the Heavens and the Earth; He put the universe in place and everything works according to a specific system. He must know quite a bit to do all that.

What then is so difficult about my life that He cannot do a great job with? I have learned since then to inquire of the Lord about His plans, I then ask for the faith to believe it, and the strength and willingness to comply with His Holy Spirit so that whatever “good” plans He has for me can duly be fulfilled. I see this strategy as the shortest distance to a destination. In Mathematics, it is said traveling in a straight line gets you to a point faster than if the journey has turns.

There have been many reasons I want to do things my way, but my way always gets me into trouble, delay my progress, and sometimes causes unbearable pain. So, instead, I choose to believe that God’s love for me is enough and perfect; I believe that His plans for me are good. As a parent, I desire the best for my children and will do all that I can to bring them to pass. The Scripture says:

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him (St. Matthew 7:11)

Considering that God knows the beginning to the end of everything, I trust God with my life and commit to living on His terms. My own terms are blinded by my ignorance and short sightedness. I am unable to detect danger, so I make the decision to give it to One Who is able. He is God- Maker of all things great and small. I encourage you to take the shortest distance to your destination; there is much danger lurking around those corners that we would otherwise take. Live life on God’s terms- His terms are best for you and I.