Reader, during a particularly discouraging week recently, the Holy Spirit spoke through my husband with a verse that has stayed with me ever since: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Anyone who knows me well knows I am a planner. I genuinely enjoy the details—vacations, my wedding, my honeymoon, lesson plans, you name it. Planning feels natural to me, and I recognize it as a gift from the Lord. But the more I grow in self-awareness, the more I see that part of my love for planning is tied to control. I know this because when things do not go according to plan, the Lord faithfully reminds me to hold my plans with an open hand, not a tight grip.
Recently, I was reminded of this lesson in a very tangible way. Toward the end of January, our area experienced extreme cold, resulting in two unexpected days off from school. As a preschool teacher, I saw those days as a gift—time I planned to devote entirely to writing. I had every intention of working on an upcoming blog post, preparing social media content, improving my website, and promoting my book, The Work in the Waiting. My plans felt productive, purposeful, and timely.
Then life happened.
The night before my first day off, I became sick—fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. Instead of writing, I spent those days resting, and I could not return to work for the rest of the week either. An entire week off, and none of the work I planned to accomplish was done.
I was discouraged. Writing is something I know the Lord has clearly called me to, yet it often feels like sickness, work responsibilities, or the demands of daily life keep pushing it aside. I wrestled with feelings of inadequacy and wondered if I was somehow disappointing God by not doing “enough.”
As I processed this with my husband, I could not help but think about how relatable this experience is for all Christ followers. Maybe your plans look different than mine, reader. Perhaps you had expectations for where you would be in your career by now, or what your romantic life would look like heading into Valentine’s Day 2026. Maybe you imagined celebrating this season with the man the Lord deems worthy of your heart or reaching a health or personal milestone by a certain date. Instead, you are entering February with plans that feel unfulfilled or painfully different than you hoped.
We all know what it’s like to plan with confidence, only to be met with unexpected detours. This is where Proverbs 16:9 gently redirects us. The Lord does not view our lives through the same timelines we do. Just because you did not meet a goal in the way—or the season—you expected does not mean progress has not been made. You may not see it yet, but steps are still being established, even when plans change.
That week I spent sick felt like a setback. I did not write the post I intended to write—but the Lord used that discouraging moment to shape this one. What felt like a delay was actually an invitation to reflect, to surrender, and to trust Him more deeply.
Reader, as Valentine’s Day approaches and expectations swirl around relationships, achievements, and timelines, allow the Lord to shift your perspective. A change in plans is not the end of the story—it may simply be a redirection. Trust that He is still at work, establishing your steps with care, purpose, and love, in the waiting.
All Bible verses are from Holy Bible: English Standard Version