doesn't really matter what it looks like.

This is short and random.

I sat with a student for almost an hour today, typing as fast as I could as he shared his story, which could be called devastating, horrible, unbelievable or even appalling.  Long story short, his parents  split when he was four, one taking some siblings and the other taking the others, and no one taking Jonas. He was sick, anyway, his stomach always protruding, left for dead, left for nothing. There was NO plan for his life, no good, no purpose, no use.

Later, the orphanage he ended up in led him to Jesus, and helped him to understand that his "sickness since birth" was actually malnutrition, malnutrition that he had suffered from for so incredibly long that permanent damage had been done, and at age 10 he had to have corrective surgery.  He has never again seen his parents, though when it was time to graduate from the orphanage program, they contacted him to see what he could do for them financially.

His story is nothing like my story. His story, in fact, is nothing like any story I have EVER heard.  I can't wait to share with you the whole thing, which could also be called beautiful, inspiring, powerful or even miraculous.

But this is what's hitting me again and again today.

The worlds plans, the worlds thoughts, the worlds ways, the worlds values...Our plans, our thoughts, our ways, our values, our perspectives--praise. the. Lord.--have absolutely NO impact on HIS plans, HIS thoughts, HIS ways, HIS values, HIS perspectives.

It does not MATTER what the world thought of him, what his parents thought of him, what his siblings thought of him. It doesn't matter what he came from.

The Lord thought of him. Cherished him. Greatly loved and valued him, sent His Son for him, kept His eye on him, HAD A PLAN for him.  A beautiful one.

And He is seeing. It. Through.  Sometimes through others, sometimes all on His own.

I will never relate to Jonas's story.

But I am greatly in awe and thankful, today, for the reminder that all my messes and worries and burdens and fears have NO IMPACT on Him doing His beautiful thing.  I'm not big enough to mess up what He's doing.

His plan, it wins. His values, they will endure. His perspective, it trumps. His heart, it overcomes.

You may never relate to Jonas's story, either...but I hope these TRUTHS that it exposes resonate with you.

Whatever it feels like, whatever it looks like, He loves you incomprehensibly, He has a beautiful plan, for YOU, and He WILL see it through.

Be at His sweet peace.