The story is told of Morris, a Russian man, who saved his rubles for twenty years to buy a new car. After choosing the model and options he wants, he’s not the least bit surprised or even concerned to learn that it will take two years for the new car to be delivered. He thanks the salesman and starts to leave, but as he reaches the door he pauses and turns back to the salesman. “Do you know which week two years from now the new car will arrive?” The salesman checks his notes and tells the man that it will be two years to the exact week. The man thanks the salesman and starts out again, but upon reaching the door, he turns back again. “Could you possibly tell me what day of the week two years from now the car will arrive?” The salesman, mildly annoyed, checks his notes again and says that it will be exactly two years from this week, on Thursday. Morris thanks the salesman and once again starts to leave. Halfway through the door, he hesitates, turns back, and walks up to the salesman. “I’m sorry to be so much trouble, but do you know if that will be two years from now on Thursday in the morning, or in the afternoon?” Visibly irritated, the salesman flips through the papers yet another time and says sharply that it will be in the afternoon, two years from now on Thursday. “That’s a relief!” says Morris. “The plumber is coming that morning!”
It’s important to make plans in advance to avoid any conflicts. I know that I would be completely lost without my planner! Before we can make plans Stefanie and I have to check our planners to see what’s going on. How do we schedule our time when it comes to God? Planning ahead isn’t wrong; in fact, it’s a scriptural principle. Proverbs declares “The wise man looks ahead”…”A wise man thinks ahead”. Hemingway said “Never mistake motion for action”. I personally like the way Schuller put it when he said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Do we plan our life around our God or do we plan God around our life?