>Growing up with a dairy farmer dad it seems I saw a lot more of his legs than I did the rest of his body. Dad spent a lot of time underneath or inside some tractor, implement or other piece of equipment trying to keep it going (or “improve” it). There were plenty of things on the farm that could break, and not much money to hire someone to fix all of it. So my dad and uncle repaired, welded, unstuck and contraptionized (translated: making something work however you can) in order to keep things running.
It wasn’t uncommon for Dad to say, “Come on, help me with this” and I would hand him tools or fit my small hands into places where his big, calloused farm hands wouldn’t. Some of my favorite memories are times spent fixing or building things with my dad, and I always pictured myself marrying a man who fixed things like he did. I pictured myself with someone a lot like my dad, but God had other ideas.
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
The other day I came home to the news that the steering on the lawn mower was broken. The repairman had been called but there was no news of when he would arrive and the sky was about to open up and pour on us again. Since Dad’s not here with us and I had no husband to do it for me I decidedto give it a try. Crawling underneath I found that in fact the chain mechanism hadn’t broken, just come apart. My hands were covered with grease and my nail polish was ruined but it wasn’t too long before I had the chain on the sprokets and back together, thanking the Lord that we could get the mower back to the barn and out of the impending rain.
My plans of being married with a family were different than the Lord’s plans for me so far. It hasn’t always been easy, and I haven’t always liked it, but I have learned so much about myself and life in general that I am certain I wouldn’t have learned if the Lord had granted the desire of my heart 20 years ago. I have learned that no matter where I am in life the Lord will provide for me whatever I need, if I only ask…even fixing mowers.
The Lord will do the same for you, and you may even see your desires change as you allow Him to direct your paths. God is so gracious and wants us to draw near to Him to see the best He has for us.
What have you learned about yourself as the Lord has changed your plans?
Paula Davis 
>Any time you want to come over and help my husband I'm sure he'd be happy to have a competent helper out there. God definitely has a course for us that we can not fathom. :O)