A Time to Plan

The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.

Proverbs 24:5-6

Do you have a garden? If you do, then you know that right now is the time of year that experienced gardeners are getting things prepared and ready for their spring and summer harvests. I know because I “attempt” to garden….Still honing my skills for sure.

Those that are serious about gardening are studying up, getting soil prepared, seeds planted indoors and making sure they have all of their supplies on hand and in good condition...right now, months before planting season.

So maybe you aren’t a gardener. Do you plan summer vacations? How about plan for retirement? Most will agree that all of these things turn our better when there is some type of plan in place, right? As a fitness and nutrition coach this applies to those that really want to make some big changes to their physical bodies as well. We just do best when there is a thought out plan…long and short term.

So let me ask you today, do you have a plan for parenting? Your marriage? The schooling of your children? Biblical training of our children and God honoring marriages don’t typically just sprout up out of nowhere, just like a beautiful tomato doesn’t sprout up out of soil left unattended and just like a bicep doesn’t suddenly appear when an arm hasn’t been purposefully moved to develop it.

I speak from experience here, in that the first 5 years that we were parents were spent just flying by the seat of our pants living day to day in survival mode. It wasn’t until I was challenged by a small women’s group that I was in, that we began to do things on purpose.

I don’t know what that might look like for you and your family, but what it looked like for us was this: We began to imagine what we wanted our family and marriage to look like in the future. We began seeking out moms/dads/families that we admired, that were a step ahead and intentionally spent time with them to learn from them. I began reading books that seemed to line up with the kind of mother and wife that I desired to be and that I thought God was calling me to be…little by little, we began making decisions on purpose.

We are all works in progress friends. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, there is time to make a plan if you haven’t done much of this. Here is my encouragement. Generational blessings don’t happen by accident. They take time, intention, planning…they take family discussions about discipline, church, school, rules, modesty, sexuality, technology and more. If you don’t have a plan for your family, I assure you that the world does.

This week, take some time to journal about this, talk to your family, pray, and plan…and remain flexible. Things change, and plans may as well…but at least you will have a guide. And if you feel like you are doing a good job at this already, I encourage you to be an encouragement to another…..Happy harvest friend!

-Jennifer McClure