Sometimes our dreams seem to shatter when we least expect it, as a painful reminder that life can often be unexplainable, according to Pete Wilson in his book Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? Shattered dreams can leave you wondering whether God is still actively involved in your life, and yet everyone has shattered dreams, and all of us need healing for our brokenness.
The book goes on to explore what it means to be living in a Plan B story, rather than in the story you originally envisaged. Some of the insights:
- Often the times when God seems a long way away are the times when the stories of Scripture suddenly become very personal.
- We tend to think that we are in control of our relationships, our finances, our kids and our lives, but that control is an illusion.
- The only thing you do control is how you respond to your disappointments and your unexpected obstacles.
- While it is possible to muster up faith in the stress of a Plan B situation, it is a lot wiser to lay the groundwork ahead of time.
- When we start to see God in the mirror of our own needs, we rob him of his glory and wonder.
- God is God; he doesn’t owe us anything, but he gives us everything, including himself.
The subjects of shattered dreams, things gone wrong, awkwardness and pain, are not easy ones to deal with when the Christian story is supposed to be about triumph over sin. The book does an admirable job of examining various emotions and events that arise, including disappointment, fear, darkness, power and hope, and transformation through tragedy. As the author concludes, there is no neat way to explain why things go wrong; all you can do is trust God to get you through Plan B.