God Has a Plan

“‘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.’”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

            My presence on this earth was an oops! My sister was thirteen years older than me. Need I say more? When she left for boarding school, then college, my parents no longer had a built-in babysitter, so they hired me a nanny.

            My Miss Horn loved her Jesus and she said so. She taught me prayers and songs I still say and sing.  I attended our town’s Episcopal Church and was confirmed. I sang in the choir and was Mary in the Christmas play, so I guess you could say I was “churched.”

          Miss Horn went to another church. I never understood why until I got older, for in my heart she was my mom. She was always there. We talked, fished, went on walks, watched TV, played cards, and ate meals together for twelve years.

            My seventh summer, I was sent to camp for two months—a camp I would attend two months every summer for nine years. When I was old enough to go to boarding school, I was sent away and my wonderful Miss Horn, my nanny, was fired.

          I was heartbroken.

            I stopped going to church. We had chapel at boarding school, but there was no teaching of the Bible. With all the traveling from our summer and winter homes, boarding school and summer camp, I never made true friends. Everyone was an acquaintance. There were times I felt very alone and pretty much an outsider everywhere I went. That changed when I went to college.

            It was there I met my guy. He and his family became my family. His mom called me “her daughter she never had.” We were like two peas in a pod. I learned so much from her and was honored to take care of her before she passed to be with the Lord.

            Miss Horn left her love of the Lord within me. What a gift! My guy’s mom became mine and helped nurture that love. Writing this brings tears, but even as I yearn to see these two godly women again in heaven, I realize that God did not leave me comfortless.

            Six years ago, I received a call out of the blue from an aunt I’d never met, and we hit the ground running. She tracked me down through my nephew—thank God.  Her husband is a pastor, and their vibrancy and love of God is so apparent, it is contagious!

            Today, I know that nothing about me is or ever was even remotely an oops. God planned every minute detail. He graciously brought these and so many other extraordinary people into my life. I pray that I can show to others the love He’s given me.  A Grateful Believer