I came across this question in a social media post the other day.

Some of the popular answers included It’s the end of the world as we know it by REM and Am I ever gonna see your face again? by The Angels. For me, as a devoted Powderfinger fan, These Days certainly fits the bill. In the chorus of this song, Bernard Fanning sings,

Control, well it’s slipping right through my hand
These days turned out nothing like I had planned

Certainly 2020 has turned out nothing like anyone had anticipated.

For me, I love planning something almost as much as I love the event itself. Planning a holiday in our household means pouring over Trip Advisor, AirBnB, and other travel websites in anticipation of what is to come. As a teacher, there is such comfort in planning: ticking off a list of tasks, planning a learning sequence. Planning can give us a sense of security and well-being.

Where is God when the days turn out nothing like I had planned?

As I read the Bible, I am constantly drawn back to a few big ideas. God is kind and compassionate. God is to be trusted. God knows our hearts and He knows our circumstances. Psalm 62 urges:

Trust in him at all times, you people
Pour out your hearts to him
For God is our refuge.

And while we may search for answers, for solutions, for predictability and planning and routine, the reminder that God is to be trusted and that He is our refuge brings peace to my heart. Rather than resting in the sense of control I might feel when my plans come to fruition or the satisfaction in completing a long list of tasks, I am trying to daily rest in the knowledge that our kind and good and compassionate God is to be trusted. Even when the days turn out nothing like we had planned, God is still on the throne (Psalm 11: 4). He rules as King and He reigns with strength.

My prayer for each of us—for our Calvin community and our wonderful students—is that we will all be strengthened by the peace of knowing and trusting in God, now and always.

Stelle Carmichael – Head of Students