Never Say Never

            In my lifetime God has taught me to never say never. 

            I attended graduate school immediately after I graduated from college.  I was a young 21 when I earned my undergraduate degree and wasn’t ready to get out into the real world nor did I have the training needed to land a job in the career I was interested in. So, I went to school for another two years and when I left grad school, I can remember saying, “I will NEVER go back to school again!”

            God must have smiled when I said that.

            I have a friend who is going through a difficult marriage and has told me that if it does not work out, she will never get married again. Really?  I wondered if that was her decision or God’s?

            I recently spoke to a group of amazing women who now live in a senior apartment community. After I finished the message, one of the dear ladies at the event wanted to tell me her story.  She said she had been in a troubled marriage for a number of years but after her husband died, God brought her an amazing man who she fell in love with and married.  She said they spent ten happy years together serving the Lord in ministry.

            I wonder if she said she’d never marry again after her first marriage ended?  I wouldn’t be surprised.

            I  believe when you say “never,” you are issuing God a challenge. In fact it makes me cringe when anyone announces they will never do this or that before getting their directive from God.  When it comes to plans, God’s plan rules.

           Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 

            There is one unnamed place I know I would not want to live but I have not said the “N” word when talking about that location because I don’t want to issue a challenge to God.  I just know if I say I will “N_ _ _ _” go here, that’s exactly where I will end up and I know I’d never have a good hair day there! Has that happened to you?

            So what occurred after I said I’d NEVER go back to school again? Over twenty years later, God called me to seminary and after repeated confirmations of the call (I am a Moses type who always makes excuses why I cannot do something.), I spent five long years working on my Master’s of Theological Studies degree part-time while raising a family. When I began school again, I distinctly remembered what I said years before and decided I would never say never again. Instead, I decided to surrender my daily planner to God and let Him direct my future. 

            Instead of “never,” I now try to use words like “whatever” “whenever” and “wherever.”  “Whatever you want, Lord.” “Wherever you lead me, Father.” “Whenever the time is right, I am ready.” God’s knows what is the best plan for our lives. We just have to be willing to receive it.

What about you?  Have you learned to never say never?