Making goals and setting plans to achieve those goals is a valuable task for anyone who wants to learn and grow to become a better them. But an important part of making goals is being open to a different road toward achieving those goals. Plans do not always work out as planned, life happens and sometimes God sees a better direction for you to get there and plans fail.

Just recently, I was denied admission to my college of choice. I may have been denied admission, but my ultimate goal has not been denied. This is a time for me to look back at what steps toward that goal have been set and with God’s guidance, tweak them some. For example, I had plans of moving, working and getting established in a new city over the Summer, then start school in the Fall. Although sometimes plans failing means a complete re-evaluation, the plan here hasn’t changed much at all. Still moving, still working over the Summer…only with the new plan, I will reapply until I gain admission, have longer to establish my son and myself in the new city, and work until I receive admission. All of which leads to more cash flow and less of a rush getting established before school!

See, God has a way of working all things together for our good. Even if I did not realize the good in this plan, there is good in every one of God’s plans. God sees life from a unique perspective that we cannot grasp. He sees situations with eternity in mind, not just the here and now. That’s why Jesus was able to bear the cross for our sins. Because He wasn’t looking at the pain, He was looking at the victory to be won! When plans fail, don’t give up on the vision God has given you. Seek God for the new path you should take. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

What encouragement can you give to someone to keep going after their goal even after their original plans have failed?

Ashley Fordinal is the Children’s Church volunteer at Family Life Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.