As I sit here, just after eagerly unwrapping my new paper 2025 planner, I can’t help but smile at the irony. You see, I’m a devoted planner – someone who finds deep joy in neatly writing out schedules, goals, and to-do lists. I love crossing tasks off a to-do list. I love keeping record of my plans and even add in extra silly holidays like September 19’s “Talk Like a Pirate Day.”

And yet, I always reach for my erasable pen when I put ink to paper. Why? Because life has taught me a valuable lesson, one that echoes the wisdom found in Proverbs 16:9:

“People plan their path, but the LORD secures their steps.” (CEB)

This verse reminds us that while we may chart our path with the best intentions, it’s ultimately God who guides our journey. (Remember the plans you thought you had made in 2020?) My erasable pen serves as a humble reminder of this truth. It allows me to plan with purpose while remaining open to the divine redirection that often comes our way.

Similarly, Psalm 37:23-24 offers us this reassurance:

“A person’s steps are made secure by the LORD when they delight in his way.
Though they trip up, they won’t be thrown down, because the LORD holds their hand.” (CEB)

Just as my erasable ink allows for changes without marring the page, God’s guiding hand ensures that our missteps and changed plans don’t define our journey. Instead, they become part of the beautiful, sometimes messy, always grace-filled story God is writing with our lives.

As you reflect on your own experiences, consider:

• When has God redirected your carefully laid plans in unexpected ways?
• How have you seen God’s divine hand at work, even in moments of apparent setback or change?
• What lessons have you learned about balancing careful planning with openness to God’s leading?

Embracing the Unwritten Future

As I look at my new planner, pages crisp and empty, I’m reminded of the blank canvas that each new day presents. With my erasable pen in hand, I’m prepared to write, erase, and rewrite as needed. This practice has become more than just a planning method – it’s a spiritual discipline that keeps me humble and open to God’s ongoing work in my life and ministry.

Here are some final thoughts to consider as we navigate the delicate balance between planning and trusting:

1. Plan with Purpose, Hold with Open Hands View your plans as a compass, not a cage. Let them point you in the right direction without restricting God’s ability to lead you on unexpected adventures
2. Find Joy in the Journey Remember that God is as interested in the process of our growth as God is in the outcome. Each erased plan is an opportunity to draw closer to God and understand God’s ways better.
3. Trust the Master Planner When our plans change, it’s not a sign of failure, but an invitation to trust more deeply. God sees the bigger picture and is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

As you go about your week, I encourage you to plan with intention but to hold those plans loosely. Write your goals and dreams in your planner, but keep that erasable pen handy. For in the erasing and rewriting, in the adjusting and adapting, we often find the most profound moments of God’s grace and guidance.

May your steps be firm, your heart be open, and your plans be ever-aligned with God’s perfect will. And remember, even when life seems to erase our carefully laid plans, God is writing a story far more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

Holy God, we love to plan out the course of our life and we love to have some sort of sense of control in a world that sometimes seems chaotic. Help us to trust that you have a divine plan for our lives. We pray that you will direct our steps and we will be faithful to follow. Amen.

Blessings, ESJ