Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” As an MK, one of the questions I ask the most is: Why? Why can’t I see my cousins more? Why can’t I drive before I’m 18 when all my American friends are starting to drive at like 15-16? (I’ve been asking this one a lot lately.) Why can’t I see this movie? Why can’t I participate in this activity? Why can’t I have this now? It’s ridiculous sometimes how much a single person can ask why.

Sometimes, to get on my nerves, my brother will just keep asking me why. It can drive me up the wall. But I realize that God probably feels the same about me asking Him why. I can’t seem to just trust that God has a plan and a purpose for everything that happens to me. Just because I can’t see around the corner doesn’t change the fact that God is still in control and He is still good.

I have two examples from my own life that can illustrate God’s perfect plan. Last fall, I was really going through a rough time. I had been let down by a good friend, rejected by a school’s basketball team, and basically had no friends my age to hang out with. I was really disappointed because I LOVE having friends who I can joke with, chat with, pretty much do anything with. I thought that If I got on this basketball team that I would finally be able to make some friends my age that I could hang out with. But apparently God had other plans.

I was frustrated and started having a bad attitude about everything. Well, our church’s fall festival came along, and I was still pretty upset about the basketball thing, but I decided that I would try my best to have a good attitude during the activity. The time came, and I was very surprised by the turn out. What probably surprised me the most, though, was that in the mix of excited kids and parents was an older American man. I was operating the memory verse station in our fair and he slowly made his way over to where I was sitting. I had seen him around town a few times, but I had never actually talked to him before. He was a really nice old man and I was so happy to meet him.

After the fair, he left saying that he was very impressed with our church. I haven’t seen him since, but he invited some of his friends who were looking for an English service to visit our church. They came one Sunday and, no joke, we pretty much became friends just like that. They have three older kids and we share so many things in common. One loves to write, so we share book ideas and help each other. They all love football, and everything Marvel and Star Wars. It’s crazy to me to think that God knew exactly when to send this awesome family to us. They’ve been a huge help to us on multiple occasions and I thank God for them.

Another example happened in May; a lady from our church died and everyone has been just so heartbroken. I was so mad because the reason she passed away was because the doctors were treating an eye problem that she had, and it basically wiped out her entire immune system. I remember thinking the doctors were murderers for knowing what she was going through and basically just ignoring it. I felt so mad because a lady I loved died. Her husband and daughters were distraught, and we were scared they would blame God. Thank the Lord, instead they used this tragedy to grow their relationship with their Heavenly Father.

I don’t speak my feelings well, so I didn’t want to talk about it at all. I tried everything I could to distract myself from it, even to a point that I’d pretend it never happened. Still though, I would wake up at night crying because I knew I would never see her again on this earth. Well I thought that I would eventually get over it without actually having to deal with it. I was wrong. So, I eventually decided if I couldn’t talk about it, I could write about it. I wrote a poem the next day and, almost as soon as I was done, I felt peace.

Not only that, but through this circumstance, I was able learn the importance of spending time with your family while you can. Before this, death to me had always been a video game concept or something from a movie. But again, I learned through this that life is short, and that I need to make the most of the time God has given me to serve Him.

I never thought that God could use these circumstances for any good, but boy did He prove me wrong! God showed me again that He has special purposes and special plans for each and everything that happens to me. I don’t know what it looks like at the end of the road, but at least I serve the God that built the road and is waiting on the other side for me.

– by Davey Green, MK to Taiwan