My world has been rocked a bit since my last blog post. It’s amazing how quickly your world can change. I look back at January 1st and the “plans” I had for the year ahead. I’m finally able to laugh a little bit about it.

Not in my plans

It all started in mid-January when my trip to London and Hong Kong was cancelled – well, postponed until later in the year. I was a bit bummed (understatement) as I had been doing quite a bit of prep for the training overseas. God had something bigger in store as my workload domestically increased and my health was about to take a very unexpected turn.

Things “exploded” so to speak on February 11, 2013. Sadly, that should have been a great day because it was my husband’s birthday! Much to my dismay, though, this became the date of my emergency appendectomy. Not in my plans.

That being said, I am so thankful the trip was cancelled earlier. Otherwise, it would have been cancelled a mere four days before my first flight! Or worse…can you imagine being overseas or on an international flight with an appendicitis?

The truly crushing blow was about the come…two weeks after my surgery, my husband was laid off from his job. Not in my plans.

This meant the ultimate decision to cancel our big European trip (which we’d been saving for since early 2012). Not in my plans.

As you can see – a blog post of great plans quickly has become turned upside down and everything that has happened since has been NOT in my plans.

His plans are much better

The reality, though, is this “new” plan is shaping up to be so much more beautiful. Life hands you unexpected opportunities. I credit these opportunities to God’s sovereignty.

Two days after my husband lost his job, we learned about Rackspace’s Open Cloud Academy. Anyone find it interesting that we found out about this through a friend on Facebook – not via my own knowledge as a Rackspace employee? Make no mistake, God has a sense of humor. He also knows how to quickly make you realize it’s His hand moving the puzzle pieces, and not your own.

So, seven weeks after the devastating blow of losing his job, Morgan now has studied his tail off, has two IT certifications under his belt and has been accepted into the pilot program for Linux System Administration (funded by Rackspace – praise God!) He now has an opportunity to become RHEL certified and begin a new, bright career as a System Admin – and potentially at Rackspace.

Let me add that Morgan has been trying to get to Rackspace for a year. Jobs that we thought were a “given” were unexpectedly not offered to him. We couldn’t understand why.

Now I know why.

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”

I don’t know what the rest of the year has in store. I pray I’ve already been given the news that is going to shock me this year. I doubt the rest will be smooth sailing, though, as life is anything but calm.

I rest assured, though, knowing that my Rock and my Redeemer is in control. And, clearly, this blog post is evidence that His plan is so much better than mine.