I've always been a planner. I love lists. I love outlines. I love to think about the future, both near and far, and write it all out. I love to follow my plan as closely as I can and watch as my life unfolds the way I want it to.

I had hearts and color-coded happiness on the paper my plan was written on. I took my plan everywhere I went. When I felt lost, I had my plan to remind me of where I was going. When I was insecure, my plan made me feel confident again. When I needed help, my plan was always there. My plan was a good plan. A great plan. My plan made me so incredibly happy. I loved my plan.

Unexpectedly, God took my plan from me and handed me a different sheet of paper. He smiled sweetly and said, "I wrote you a new plan." I looked down at the new sheet of paper, but it was blank. Confused and upset, I asked Him to give me my plan back, but He was silent. I began to cry, and with every tear, markings appeared on the new paper. They were jumbled and blurry; I did not understand them. Confused, I asked God to bless me with the ability to read what He wrote for me. God answered my prayer and told me that He already has given me this ability. He told me that if I read the scriptures, the markings would become clear. Desperate, I immediately opened my scriptures and read, referring back to the paper that God gave me often. The more I read, the clearer the markings became. I then asked God if I was reading His plan correctly, and He let me know that I was.

We have all heard the phrase, "God works in mysterious ways." I thought that was so cliche until God took my plan from me and handed me a new one. God took my plan from me not only because He had something better in mind, but also because He wanted me to put more faith in Him. God sends us trials because He wants us to grow both personally and spiritually. He wants us to turn to and rely on Him. Putting a new plan in front of me was God's way of telling me that I needed to pay more attention to Him and that I needed to put more trust in Him.

Trusting God's plan is not always easy; however, nothing else seems to be an option once you give yourself to Him and allow yourself to give up the plan you created for yourself.

My plan was 'perfect,' but God's plan is happier.