How to fulfill God's Great Plans for your Life

Hi my Soldier Friend!

I have been praying for you all week. I do hope that you are safe and secure and as happy as you can be considering your circumstances. I understand the weather in Iraq and Afghanistan is in the 90s-100s. Ouch!

Here in Pennsylvania, it either rained or rained.

We had a few sunny days. This week it is down in the 70s. My favorite time of the year is the fall. Leaves are already starting to fall here.

I have been reading a very good book by Max Lucado called Cure for the Common Life.

Mr. Lucado writes about identifying your own uniqueness and finding what he calls your sweet spot. You know in every letter that I write that I tell you that God has Great Plans for YOU. But I never say how to figure out what those plans are. So I will now try to do that.

God has great plans for me too . The problem is that I knew what they were but wanted something more exciting! I wanted what I wanted not what God planned for me. So in this struggle of what I wanted and what I was destined to do was a big struggle and I wasted ½ of my life fighting God. Now I get this panicky feeling because I feel like I am running out of time! I wish better for you.

Any way, back to Mr. Lucado. He says that God gives assignments to people “to each according to each one’s unique ability” Matt. 25:15.

He says to look back on your life and find what you have consistently done well. We are made to do ‘something’. We need to find our uniqueness. He quotes that “The Holy Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others” 1 Cor 12:7. He says not to worry about skills that we don’t have but extract our uniqueness. That is heavy stuff. Some people are just born to do a certain thing. Like an artist, musician, teacher, or oh yea, a soldier .

He ends the first chapter with:

Use your uniqueness (what you do the best)

To make a big deal out of God (why you do it)

Every day of your life (where you do it)

Mr. Lucado calls it our ‘sweet spot’. I see it as God’s Great Plans for us.

In another chapter he quotes from Psalm 139. “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, you (GOD) saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Mr. Lucado says that God did not drop us into the world defenseless and empty- handed. He formed us perfectly and fully equipped. We dull our lives by missing this point.

In other words His Design of YOU defines YOUR destiny. This is important because in order to fulfill God’s great plans for us, we need to know what he made unique in us for his purpose and do it every day of our life.

I am reflecting on this because I feel it is important for your life.

So that is why I tell you about God’s great plans for YOU. Don’t waste your life wandering around aimlessly. Figure it out and find your uniqueness and fulfill God’s plans for your life.

Can you fill in these blanks:

I (God) wonderfully made _______________. I have made him __________, and ___________, and

_______________, and __________________. He can ___________and __________and___________

And __________ exceptionally well. I will use him to _____________, and __________ for my (God’s) Glory.

For me it would be:

I wonderfully made "S". I have made her kind and loving and gentle and strong and intelligent. She can listen and research and learn and troubleshoot problems exceptionally well. I will use her to raise a child and foster other motherless children and mend broken hearts. I will use her pain and suffering for the good of others.

That is me and I am finally ok with his plans for me. Humble but Great in it’s simplicity. i remind myself all t he time that I am finally ok with it.

So, blah blah, here I am going on rambling again but I just did not want to tell you over and over again that God has great plans for you and then you not know what that means for your life.

So young soldier, reflect on this.

It is important for the rest of you precious life! Don’t waste time trying to be and do what you are not and should not be doing. Don’t fight God’s purpose in your life. Know it and live it.

As God says in Jeremiah, “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work”. Jeremiah 1:5

Again , I am praying so hard for your safety. I pray that you come home healthy and whole!

I pray God is with you when you are conflicted with his word and your fight against evil. He knows your thoughts and hears you and is with you always. Did you know that God hears our cries and sees our tears?

So to the Holy Spirit come to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Holy Spirit himself goes to meet our supplications to God and PLEADS on our behalf with unspeakable yearning and groaning too deep for utterance. Romans 8:26

Not only did Jesus die for us but he left his Holy Spirit in each and every one of us for our comfort and protection. And that Holy Spirit hears our cries and pleads with God on our behalf.

Your prayers are always heard. Always.

You are brave and strong and courageous and honorable. The pride I feel in knowing you and praying for you overwhelms me at times. Thank you for being a friend to me! Also, is there anything you need? Just let me know.

If I can I will get you what you need. Don’t be afraid to ask.

I live by this motto, “the more you give, the more you get”. I am here for you.

Humbly,

Ps. In your prayers can you pray for my son. He is lost and his life is becoming a disaster. Ask God to give him direction in his life. I love him so much. Thanks