Article June 8, 1998 Issue

One Mind, one will

The shortest and best distance between two points is the way God directs.

By Jan Johnston

When I was young we were taught in school, "Where there's a will, there's a way." I took this to mean that if there was something I wanted, it was OK to orchestrate a way for it to happen. I got in the habit of approaching things with the idea that if I tried hard enough, I could accomplish anything my heart desired. It worked to a certain degree. As the years progressed, I became a chronic planner (charging toward each goal with an organized, detailed plan, and then following it to the letter).

Sometimes, however, when all was said and done and my will was accomplished, I didn't like the result. What had seemed in the beginning to be a worthwhile pursuit often failed to bring what I expected. At other times, my plans didn't work at all, and I found myself frustrated. My daughter sometimes reminds me of those time by saying, "If you want to make God laugh, Mom, tell Him your plans!"

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