This word is submitted by Ray Puen (raypuen@sbcglobal.net)

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                    Your Plans, My Will

You say you don't know My will. You wonder about your many options to 
serve Me -- "Which one? How do I go about serving God? When?"

My child, I read your heart well. I see your desire to serve, I feel 
your heart and longing to be involved in My work. I sense your wondering 
at My agenda and timing for your life.  I know your desires and I invite 
you to surrender them to Me. 

Go ahead and dream big. Write out your mission statement. Design your 
plans. Make out your lists.  Then surrender these to Me as an act of 
worshipful obedience. Now trust Me to open doors of opportunity for the 
carrying out of those parts of your plans that I bless, and trust Me 
equally when I shut the doors to those that I choose to cancel, ignore or 
shelve for another time.

For you see, when you surrender your plans to Me, I will sanctify them 
and return them to you. At that point they are no longer just your plans -- 
fine-tuned and spiffed up. They are now My plans and purposes for your 
life.  Do you not suppose that I may have planted the seed that germinated 
in your mind as an idea?  Do you not suppose that what you rejoiced in 
discovering what you want to do in this way or that, following your 
natural inclinations, may actually have been planted by Me in your sleep, 
or triggered in your wakefulness?

Let's revel in our partnership. I'll provide you with the inspiration. 
You work with it because it harnesses your natural abilities and desires. 
Then surrender it as an act of worship, as an act of acknowledging our 
partnership. Then I'll transform that into something that will fulfill 
My purposes and timing through you.