I’ve always told people:
If you really want to make God laugh — just make your own plans.
I don’t mean planning how to get the kids to practice or how to finally knock out that project you’ve been procrastinating on (though I’m pretty sure He laughs at that stuff when it comes to me, too).
I’m talking about the kind of planning for life that doesn’t allow any room for error… and rarely includes prayer.
The Plans That Break Us
Have you ever made a plan that you wrapped your whole self around?
Where your very identity felt dependent on its flawless execution?
Like if this one thing didn’t go right… then you couldn’t possibly move forward?
Those, my friend, are the kinds of plans that God laughs at.
And it’s not a cruel laugh, I promise.
It’s the gentle chuckle of a Father who sees the bigger picture.
He sees the real plans He has for your life — and they are so much better than what you can even imagine from where you’re standing right now.
Pride, Disguised as Disappointment
I’ve had plans like these. Honestly, I still make them more often than I care to admit.
And when those beautifully illustrated, perfectly plotted scenarios don’t play out the way I knew they were supposed to?
It hurts.
Like, deep in your soul, questioning-everything kind of hurt.
I thought I knew best.
I thought I deserved what I wanted.
I thought I had worked hard enough to earn the perfect outcome.
And that — is pride.
Plain and simple.
See how every part of that is all about me?
The Hidden Face of Pride
The danger of pride isn’t always arrogance.
Sometimes, it looks a lot like heartbreak.
It’s not that I thought I was better than everyone else…
It’s that I was convinced I knew better than God.
That’s hard to admit. But it’s the truth.
Because yes, I prayed…
but only after I planned.
I didn’t ask for His guidance — I asked for His stamp of approval.
I had already decided what I wanted… I just wanted Him to sign off like a divine project manager.
But here’s the thing:
God isn’t in the business of co-signing pride.
He’s in the business of transformation.
And sometimes? That transformation comes in the wreckage of our best-laid plans.
Faith Requires Grit
This is exactly why I feel called to keep showing up and sharing the grit that comes with chasing the gospel.
Because the truth is — being a human is already a full-time job.
Add being a wife, a mother, a good friend, a gracious daughter, and a faithful follower?
Whew. It’s a lot.
It’s not easy — and anyone who says it is is either lying or trying to sell you something.
When I think about what God really asks of us — to follow Him and lead others to His grace — it only makes sense to be honest about the hard.
And the truth is… some days I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.
And that’s OK.
Feel-Good vs. IS-Good
We live in a world that worships what feels good.
But the focus should be on what is good.
That doesn’t mean you won’t face heartbreak or tears.
It means that when those things come, you won’t face them alone.
Life is messy.
It’s rough.
It’s really freaking hard sometimes.
But it is also beautiful, and full of blessings — if you train your spirit to look for them.
Changing Gut Reactions
When my plans fall apart, bitterness is my first reaction.
That’s my default.
So — that’s where I start the work.
Because gut reactions can be changed.
They’re learned behaviors — and that means we can unlearn them, too.
It might take a few days… or a few years… but that’s not the point.
The effort is the point.
A Gentle Reminder
So, as you make your plans and start picturing your identity wrapped in titles or income brackets or a perfectly curated life…
Remember this:
You don’t know the plans God has for you.
But your identity is in Him.
And no one — no one — can take that from you.
No one can ruin it.
No one can make you less than a child of the King.
Every day, you get to choose:
To find joy in the chaos,
or to wilt under the weight of a world that was never designed to love you the way your Father does.
Welcome to the Table
Gospel & Grit is here for the work — the hard, scary, ugly, tear-stained work it takes to shift your focus and find your purpose.
And yes — you still need a plan to get everyone out the door on time tomorrow morning. 😅
But when you come back to this table?
We’re getting back to work.
Gospel & Grit 
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