This is the first year in 20 years that we have had a big garden. We planted okra, tomatoes, pepper, cantaloupe, watermelon, corn, squash, pumpkin, carrots, onions, cucumber and zucchini. For the most part, we have had good success, although our corn and onions were a bust. A few weeks into our growing season, we noticed an extra plant growing near the edge of the garden. We used lots of compost, so we thought it might have been a vegetable voluntarily coming up from the compost. At first glimpse, I thought it was a weed, but then it reminded me of the potatoes that my grandpa grew in his garden when I was a child. It made sense that it could be potatoes because we were always pitching potato skins into the compost. I googled potatoes and our plant resembled the pictures. We decided to let it grow to see what happened.

Soon we had 19 of these plants growing in the garden. With so many of them, I thought I had better make sure what we had, so I went to the world’s most-leading authority, facebook, and posted pictures. I had several friends say it was a weed, “Pull it up.” I had several others say, “It’s a potato.” Since I had thought it was a potato (and hoped it was a potato) and some agreed, I was sure I must be right.

I envisioned the bags and bags of potatoes we would harvest. I had already picked out the place in my mind under the house, where we could store them during the winter while we ate through our stash. I imagined hot baked potatoes and creamy mashed potatoes, both dripping with butter, and greasy French fries slathered in ketchup. I could almost taste them. I bet you can too now that I have mentioned them.

When one of the plants grew to over 7 foot tall, I started doubting the potato theory. I asked around and finally got in touch with a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina. He sent me an email that dashed my hopes for living up to my Irish roots and becoming a potato farmer. I would love to tell you it was some elaborate plant worthy of acclaim like the potato, but it was not. Pigweed. That was it—named that because it was a weed usually fed to pigs.

Not only was it a lowly weed, but it was stealing nutrients from my other respectable plants that I could slather with butter and ketchup. My son, Bradley, harvested the pigweed the day the devastating news came. There were enough plants to feed a slew of pigs. Unfortunately, we don’t have pigs, but they will make good fertilizer. Now my garden is happy again.

Life is like that sometimes. We have thoughts of grandeur. We make these wonderful plans, but then our potatoes turn out to be pigweed. There is a saying that if we want to make God laugh, just tell Him what our plans are. Man plans, God laughs. I know He has reason to laugh at me a lot. I think I know best. I make my plans. Sometimes I forget to consult Him. Often, I don’t know best. Often, my plans are different from His will. In the end, His will is always so much better than anything I could ever plan.

The Bible talks about man planning, but ultimately it is God’s will that prevails. James 4: 13-15 says, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

With my garden, it must be God’s will that we pull the weeds, and buy potatoes at the Publix. We can do that!

One thing I am certain of. The Lord smiles in divine joy when we trust Him with our plans, when we seek Him in our decisions, when we realize that He is God and we are not, and, most importantly, when we choose to walk in His Truth.

Dear Lord:  Thank You that you are with us everyday. I know You must laugh at us immensely as we muddle through life, making our plans, believing we know best. Your plans are always best. You always know best. Guide us with Your grace. Forgive us for not always seeking You. Thank You for loving us through this journey we call life with all its wild adventures. Amen

For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. Proverbs 2:6-7

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 4)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Have there been times when you had great expectations, but God showed you He had a different plan? How did it work out in the end? Please share your experiences, thoughts and comments with us by replying below.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. May God richly bless and guide you and your family through the different adventures of your life.