When I was a freshman in college my roommate and I rented the back house on a two house lot. In the little front house was a girl who was a junior at the college. She was a dance major with great hopes and dreams of a future as a dancer. About the middle of the year she learned that she had a problem with her knees that ended her hopes of being a dancer. A few years later she and one of my high school roommates got married, settled down and had a son. All seemed to be going well until the marriage broke up and put an end to another dream.
I was speaking with some new parents-to-be one day and they said their doctor had told them the child she was caring would be born severely retarded. The doctor had advised them to consider that this child and all the hopes and plans they had for this baby had died and that they were now given a new challenge to love and care for.
Then there are all the funerals we’ve attended for friends who have lost a child.
All of these and more are dreams and plans that have been shattered. How can people handle the loss, the disappointment?
I was thinking of King David who had gathered all the material, the plans, the money, the building permits etc. to build a temple. This was something he’d wanted to do, something he’d been planning to do and something he was looking forward to doing. But God said no. I’m sure he said something like why God, I’m all ready?
Then there was Joseph who thought he was going to be somebody only to be sold into slavery by his brothers, betrayed by his master’s wife, thrown in jail and forgotten.
We have Mary and Joseph who had a son. Sure, He was special but sons usually take over Dad’s business. Nope. Then maybe He did. What about the disciples who had the dreams of having a Savior King who would save them from Rome and rule the world. That dream was shattered.
Looking back a bit. When the Jewish people were conquered, the temple destroyed, and they were sent into exile, the prophet Jeremiah shared a message of hope from God in 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.”
That sounds hopeful. Paul writes in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
So what is the answer when we turn to God and say “What’s going on Lord? Everything’s messed up, all my dreams and plans are shattered.”
God’s reply is “I know you’re hurting. Trust Me, I’m working for your good. All My dreams and plans for you are right on track.”