I read this quote the other day and it really made a huge impact on me.
“Whatever God’s dream about man may be, it seems certain it cannot come true unless man cooperates.”
Stella Terril Mann
Wow. Right? Sometimes I read something that makes me really stop and think. I mean obviously God could have created robots, but He didn’t. I know some people that I love very much, that don’t believe the exact things that I believe. They think maybe Noah and Adam and Eve and the other prominent stories in the Bible may just be a bit of symbolism, a metaphor of sorts that God used to give us a road map. But if I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, I figure, that even amidst the different interpretations, He is not going to allow the words to be so twisted that we are just reading a bunch of stories that never happened. So lets take Adam and Eve for instance. Even if just metaphorically… God had this pretty great plan for all of us. The Garden of Eden. A metaphor? Whatever it was I GET IT! He had something in mind that far surpassed anything we could ever imagine. No illness, no sadness or death, no anger or guilt, or wars, just a beautiful life in a beautiful world. And good old Adam and Eve screwed that up royally for us now didn’t they? But within that story we learn about “free will” and choices that we are given.
Reading that quote, stopped me in my tracks. I know I’ve been pretty uncooperative in this process called life. I have gotten in my own way so many times I couldn’t even begin to count. I’ve always blamed Adam and Eve for interrupting God’s plan throughout the years, but I know without a doubt that I’ve interrupted His plans for me. The only question I have is, why couldn’t these darn ephifanies have happened in my twenties?
Over the years I’ve had these fleeting glimpses of God, but never this clearly. I am interrupting my own journey. Not believing in the gifts that He has given me. Not seeing the messages He wants me to hear. Not getting out of my own way. Not seeing God’s plans have been interrupted by me! His plan has always been better. I can look back and see the times I took a different path than the one so clearly laid out for me. And then asked why? How many times did I just barrel ahead without really seeking His will? It is all so clear now. And even though I wish I’d seen the light sooner… I will not get in my own way again and brand my soul with the excuse of it’s too late for me. Instead, I will be an example of it’s never too late to salvage that dream and march on!
Oh Lord, if I turn around I can clearly see
the treasures that I missed that you designed for me.
The times I overlooked the path you’d have me take
and how you always forgave all of my mistakes
As I stop to ponder, I finally understand
the wisdom in following the much greater plan!
Diane Reed 2020
The One Thing I know For Sure 
I found this very encouraging. Thanks for sharing!
The Lord revealed things to me yesterday — actually while writing a blog post — about why certain ‘unsuccessful’ things happened, and I realized it was for my own good, and the Lord was working through them, even though they were unsuccessful from a worldly perspective.
It is so wonderful to know, even while passing through the uncertain, dark valleys, the Lord is taking care of you, and He is guiding you to something better. When we see it, in perspective, we will see how much better it is 😀
Sally,
Thank you! I also find a lot of my posts are for me! ☺️
Especially when I go back & reread a few
from a few years ago. 😁
I like your take on the meaning of the Garden of Eden and the first sin.
Hi Keera Ann
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! I am afraid when I really think about it, I am not sure if I’d been Eve, that I would’nt have also failed God. 😦 I’d like to think I wouldn’t have, but considering my choices, thus far, I wouldn’t bet on me. 🙂
I hope you already know this about me, but in case you don’t, I’m not a person of faith. I am the ultimate lapsed Catholic. But your post intrigued me. What is God’s plan for you and how do you know what it is? I hope you don’t view that question as a challenge to your beliefs. I ask because I’m honestly interested in delving deeper into your post and your beliefs. These kinds of things fascinate me.
Mark,
I am just honored that you read my ramblings at all! And just like you make me see politics differently, who knows what you might get from me. 😉 So never hesitate to ask me things that challenge me and make me think too. I think in this case, I am talking metaphorically.I believe that God created us out of pure love. We are His children and knowing what I do about you, you are a great dad. But dissappointed in some of the choices your sons have made. Though holding them in your arms the first seconds of their lives, I’m pretty sure I’m not wrong when I say that you felt nothing but hope for their futures. Whatever that was going to be. I feel that God also has those plans for us. He gives us free will and so what I am saying, whether it is your son’s or my life, we have the ability to keep trying. Though God gives us a kind of road map through His word, that is pretty simple. The right from wrong lessons, the love lessons, and moral values are all there. What this was about was just talking about my realization that it dawned on me that He had more for me than my choices allowed. As for my plan… it is to seek Him daily. Which I have to say I haven’t done for quite a while.
But how do you know anything at all about God? How do you know these things about the road map, the lessons, his word, etc.? Do you accept that there is an act of faith involved in this? Or do you believe there is something more concrete involved than faith?
There is a saying… I wish I could remember it exactly but it goes something like this… it is stupid to believe in what we are taught as children without understanding it ourselves. The premise of this actual quote was that there IS something to believe in, but you are missing out without researching it for yourself. My 1st husband and I could not get married in our church because he was not of the same faith. In fact, he didn’t have one. My best friend’s mom did not attend our wedding because we were “unequally yoked.” I was pretty offended. Our Pastor found out that we were getting married in my backyard. It was a beautiful day in Palos Verdes with a clear view of Catalina and a sailboat race in the background. He told my husband that he respected the fact that he didn’t just believe to believe at our premarital counseling. And he married us. against the wishes of our elders of our church. At that exact time in my life. I understood there were a lot of different interpretations of God’s love and the people who really emulate it and the ones who just think they do. And it is imperative to understand that before you decide if you believe or don’t.
In my case, I have been in a dark place where I questioned everything. (Not that you have to be in a dark place to do that.) I feel that I have been on the questioning side longer than on the believing side. But I feel now that I have actually seen HIM work in my life and I do believe. Obviously, if you have read my posts, from the beginning, I have struggled with my faith. I GET that you are more intellectual and I am more emotional. But there is a pretty good book (Josh Mc Dowell’s Evidence That Demands A Verdict) as well as the Bible with all of it’s prophecies that are pretty evident. But for me, I feel God is a God of detail and he answers specifically in a lot of cases. At least in my life He has. I can’t not believe.
Don’t let people ruin faith for you. I mean, if you sit in a garage all day, it won’t make you a car anymore than going to church every week will make you a Christian. It is a heart thing. And also, it is not the kind of thing you can answer with one answer. I welcome the conversation. I will be praying that God pricks your heart to keep asking the questions.
I need to remember to come back to your comment this weekend when I have more time. 😉
My wife is Jewish. I am not. A Jewish wedding and raising our kids Jewish was important to her and since I have no “faith” that I follow, I was fine with that. The synagogue her family belonged to wouldn’t marry us because I’m not Jewish. It was a conservative synagogue. So, we got married in a reform synagogue and raised our kids in the the faith at that synagogue. If I had an opportunity to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have agreed to raising our kids in the faith. As with most, if not all, religions they have been taught to believe they are special because they are Jewish. And that drives me absolutely crazy.
To me, there is a difference between faith and religion. That actually should be obvious. Religion is a narrowing thing. It also is about power. But faith … that is a personal thing that no one else should touch. At least that’s my view.
And ultimately, when it comes to faith, it is a question of what people want to believe and need to believe. You suggest that the Bible tells you about God, but that involves a faith you are placing in the book — that it really is the word of God. Even though it is the product of man. That’s not a leap, a faith, I’ve adopted. And then when you say you see God acting in your life, I can imagine there are other explanations so I don’t place my faith in there being a God.
I have tremendous respect for people of faith who live that faith at a personal level. I won’t ever have much respect for organized religions who use the faith of their followers to acquire power and wealth.
Mark,
My best friends are Messianic. Jewish but believe in Jesus as the Messiah. He was Jewish, she actually went through the process. Their kids were Bar Mitzvah-ed, etc. it has been interesting. I agree, “religion” has never been something I embraced. Especially when my husband wasn’t allowed to marry me in my church. I could go through the other ways I feel it has failed me, but not sure what good that would do. Just know I do understand what you mean. But I don’t feel that God intended for those failings created by people. I urge you to look up that book by Josh McDowell. He was where you are now, but wanted solid evidence.
https://www.josh.org/about-us/joshs-bio/
If you read the reviews on
Evidence that demands a verdict
You’ll see there are not 5 stars than average.
He has others but I’d start with that. He can answer your in a much more intellectual way than I ever could. He set out to disprove it all.
* more 5 stars. Not (not) 5 stars. 😏
” a good cry is what heals the soul to truly feel the heart”
” with the true faith in Jesus Christ we all can truly see the dream that God envisioned for us all”
You are not wrong!
The problem with me is that I know it in my head… it just has rarely reached my heart as much as I would have wanted it to over the years.
It is always in your heart, you just have to truly feel it.
Ahhh that makes me wanna cry! xoxo
I love it!
We have all missed God’s plans for us and messed everything up but he’s always by our side no matter what we do and he’s ready to forgive us!! Thank you Lord for your love and mercy.
On Tue, Jan 28, 2020, 9:27 AM The One Thing I know For Sure wrote:
> coastalmom posted: ” I read this quote the other day and it really made a > huge impact on me. “Whatever God’s dream about man may be, it seems certain > it cannot come true unless man cooperates.” Stella Terril Mann Wow. Right? > Sometimes I read something that ” >
YOU are my best road map at how to do it right! God put you right in front of me decades ago and I am a fool to not have emulated the example of you more!
Love you!
xoxo