Reflections on God's leading

Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

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This morning I woke with thoughts of many years ago. Thoughts of hopes and dreams that all of us have as we begin our lives in the world. Like most of us I had hopes of love, marriage, finding that pretty young bride and living happily ever after.
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36 years ago I had made some decisions about those hopes...I gave them all up. I remember the time well. My dreams of how things would work out in my life had not happened. I didn't find the girl. I was alone and was starting my career in ministry. I was lonely. But there was a day when God and I had a visit. I came to the end of myself and told God, "Ok, I give up. If you want me to be a single man the rest of my life and serve you I will gladly do that. I give you all my hopes and dreams of what I wanted my life to be like. I give up." And I really did. I let go of my dreams, my hopes, what I thought my life should be like and let God have it all. I gave up.
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As one man said, "I feel much better since I gave up hope." And I did! It was a time of really trusting God. I think I rested, for the first time in many of my early years, in God's provision and care for me. It was a wonderful time of peace that came with God's final defeat of my will and what I wanted for my life. I would fight this battle many more times in my life, but for those days the issues had been settled and I had, maybe for the first time, put all of my life in God's hands. I had given all my hopes and dreams to the God who loved me and it brought a wonderful peace I hadn't known before.
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It's funny how God directs our paths. He has an amazing route planned for our lives and when we finally let him lead he takes us on a most wonderful journey. Two weeks after my meeting with God I met my wife, Joye, for the first time. It's as if God had all of this lined up for me, but was waiting for me to let him be Lord even over my singleness. He has such a wonderful and tender way of making us smile.
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On November 18, 1973, a Sunday morning, I met this beautiful young brunette in church. I was instantly captivated. But I was a pastor. It was Sunday morning, so I shook her hand, greeted her and went on with my morning. Without my knowing it at the time this was a turning point in my life. God has such a great sense of humor. He was waiting for my surrender to bring about the very thing I was wrestling him to get. He wanted to give it to me HIS way. Two weeks after I gave up God gave me what I had wrestled him to obtain. I'm so glad that God determines our steps. He has an amazing way of working in our lives if we will let him lead us down his paths. His paths, twisting as they seem at the time, always tell a much more interesting story in the end....