Are God’s Plans Better Than Mine?

Have you ever wondered if God’s plans for your life might be better than the ones you’ve carefully crafted for yourself? I’ve asked myself this question many times throughout my journey, especially when life took unexpected turns.

The Dreams I Had vs. The Path God Chose

When I was younger, I had everything mapped out. My heart was set on becoming an overseas missionary. I would study theology, and alongside my husband who would study medicine, we’d serve God in another country healing bodies and souls. It seemed like the perfect plan—meaningful, purposeful, and aligned with my faith.

To prepare for this calling, I enrolled in seminary in Dallas. Each class I took, each paper I wrote, each late night of studying was building toward that vision of service on foreign soil.

But life began unfolding in ways I never anticipated.

When Life Takes Unexpected Turns

During my final year of seminary, we welcomed our first child. A year after graduation, our daughter was born. At six months old, she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma—a rare form of cancer. Suddenly, my days were filled with trips to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, never knowing what each visit would bring.

Then came military life. Before my daughter turned two, my husband joined the Army against my wishes. I found myself relocating to the desert of West Texas—about as far from my envisioned mission field as I could imagine. My days were suddenly filled with juggling military trainings and deployments, caring for three young children, and making those regular trips to St. Jude.

For 20 years, I tried to force my life to fit the plan I had set for myself. I tried to make sense of where I was versus where I thought I should be. Slowly, I began to realize that the relationship I thought would support my calling was taking me further from it in ways I hadn’t expected.

Finding Mission Fields I Never Expected

Looking back now, I can see that God wasn’t ignoring my desire to serve. He was redefining what my mission field would look like.

Through my daughter’s cancer journey, I was placed in a community of hurting families at St. Jude who needed support, understanding, and hope.

Through military life, I was surrounded by women navigating trauma, separation, and uncertainty—women who needed someone who understood their unique challenges.

Through my own difficult seasons and eventual life transitions, I gained insights that have helped me minister to other women traveling similar paths.

The mission field didn’t look like I had envisioned. It wasn’t in some distant country. It was in hospital waiting rooms, military housing communities, and eventually, in supporting other women navigating difficult paths.

God wasn’t saying no to my heart’s desire to serve in mission—He was redirecting my steps to the mission He had uniquely prepared for me.

Three Truths About God’s Direction

Throughout this journey, I’ve discovered three important truths about how God directs our steps:

1. God’s direction often only becomes clear in retrospect. While we’re in the middle of unexpected circumstances, it can be nearly impossible to see God’s hand at work. It’s usually when we look back that we can trace the pattern of His direction.
2. God’s direction is intimately connected to our personal growth. The paths God establishes for us aren’t random; they’re specifically designed to shape us, refine us, and draw us closer to Him in ways our original plans might never have accomplished.
3. God’s direction always moves toward redemption. Even when the path includes suffering, loss, or relationships that don’t unfold as we expected, God is always working toward redemption—using even the most painful circumstances to bring about good.

How to Hold Your Plans Loosely

So how do we live in this tension between making plans and surrendering to God’s direction? Here are some practical ways I’ve learned to hold my plans loosely while still being intentional:

1. Create space for stillness. We can’t hear God’s redirections if our lives are constantly filled with noise and activity. As Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Set aside regular time to quiet your mind and listen.
2. Pray over your plans. Bring your dreams and goals before God, asking Him to align them with His purposes. Proverbs 16:3 encourages us to “commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
3. Look for the ministry opportunities right where you are. Sometimes we’re so focused on future plans that we miss the people God has placed in our path today. Ask yourself: Who needs what I have to offer right now?
4. Be willing to take detours. Some of God’s greatest blessings come when we’re willing to step off our planned route and follow His unexpected leadings.
5. Practice gratitude for where you are, not just where you hope to be. Thankfulness opens our eyes to see God’s provision and purpose in our current circumstances.

Embracing God’s Better Plan

Today, I’m living a life I never planned for myself—and it’s beautiful in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I’m happily remarried with a beautiful toddler at home alongside three teenagers. If you had shown me this picture 20 years ago, I would have said, “That’s not my life. That’s not my plan.” If you had showed it to me 5 years ago, in the depth of difficult circumstances, I would not have believed that happiness lay around the corner.

But here’s what I’ve learned: my plans were just that—my plans. God’s direction was something else entirely, something I couldn’t have anticipated, something far more complex and, ultimately, more beautiful than I could have imagined.

If you’re in a season where life seems to have veered far from your carefully laid plans, take heart. God sees you. He hasn’t abandoned you on this path. The direction He’s establishing for your steps is part of a larger story—one that you may not fully understand yet, but one that is being written with love.

Are God’s plans better than mine? Without question. But I had to walk through them—step by directed step—to discover just how true that really is.

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What unexpected direction has God taken you? Have you discovered mission fields right where you are? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.