There was a young girl who had been dating this boy.  After living in the same town and growing up together, they fell in love. They knew they wanted to marry when they were both old enough. Not to long after they fell in love, they were engaged to be married. Life was going along perfectly, she had met her Prince Charming and was planning to live the rest of her life in her quiet little town. But God had other plans.

This young woman found herself pregnant. An angel told her she was to carry a child, she did not become pregnant by normal means but by the overwhelming of the Holy Spirit. What would her Prince Charming think? What would her community think? Women are killed for these kinds of rumors. Before, Mary had visions of how her life was going to be, but God had other plans.

Have you ever been in the situation where you have been praying for something (a spouse, a job, healing etc..), but God had other plans?  Maybe you have been praying that it would be God’s will to go left, instead God takes you right?  How do you react when things don’t go your way?  If I am honest, I am not happy when things don’t go my way.  In my small brain I pray and ask for a slice a bread, but God wants to offer the Bread of Life.

We pray and ask forgiveness for our sins, for failures in our past, and things we are not proud of.  Our hope and desire is that the King of Kings would forgive us.  Instead, he not only forgives you through the death of His son on the cross, He wants to take those past failures and use them for His glory. What once was shame for us, is now GLORY for him.

Mary had visions of marrying her Prince Charming and raising a nice family.  Instead she became pregnant with the child who would save the world.

God had other plans, it was not going to be an easy life but Mary will have a life like no other.

What if God has other plans for you? Are you open if he leads you towards an unexpected path?  Maybe something to ponder as we enter the last month of 2009 and are looking forward to new beginnings in 2010.

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