Plans?

The end of another school year and the approach of summer raises the question, “What is your plan?”

For many of us summer is an opportunity to travel, to reconnect with family and friends, and to renew our weary bodies, minds, and spirits before the season escapes us.

Recently, while reading Ken Blanchard’s book, One Solitary Life, I found myself challenged to think about my plans from a different perspective. One prompted by Blanchard, a nationally recognized leadership author and motivational speaker, who asks: “Do you want to make the world a better place?”

I, like many of you, respond yes without a moment’s hesitation or second thought. We understand the concept. We desperately desire a better world where peace, justice, and equality for all people are lived out in daily life. Blanchard knows this deep-seated longing too. That is why he follows up his initial question by asking, “What’s your plan?”

Unfortunately, however, a lot of us do not have a plan and that is the point behind Blanchard’s second question. Though we want to make the world a better place, we do not have a plan to translate our hopes into action. As a result, we may drift toward apathy, lose ourselves in the routine of life, or simply do nothing at all.

But Jesus has a plan, and the good news is that Jesus invites us to follow his lead. Jesus’ plan is to help and serve others, especially the marginalized, oppressed, and all whose inherent dignity and worth as beloved children of God are questioned or threatened. Because, like it or not, Jesus’ plan is to love God and to love our neighbors, all of them! Jesus’ plan is not to focus on what we can get in life; or who we must trample upon as we climb the ladder of success. Jesus’ plan is all about what we can give – sharing the love and the abundant life that God so generously gives to us.

So, what’s your plan?