About a week ago, I was riding in the car with my husband and children, thinking through an earlier conversation my husband and I had about intentionality in our marriage. In it, we had discussed how in this current season, with young children, it’s more important than ever to plan ahead and prioritize what’s important to us and to our family.

As I was reflecting on everything that was said, God interrupted my thoughts mid-sentence with a mind-blowing statement about why planning ahead and thoughtfulness seemed to mean so much to me.

“I made a plan for you.”

“I thought ahead for you.”

“I knew every need you would have in detail and made a plan for it – because I love you.”

The weight of those words hit me all at once in our minivan. All of a sudden, our 8 month old’s adorable babbling in his carseat, our 5 year old and 2 year old’s giggles in the backseat, the radio playing on low — they just faded to the background for a moment.

I thought about how in the garden with Adam and Eve, God knew. He knew before the shame in the aftermath, before the fruit had been tasted, before the snake approached Eve, before the thought of deceit ever crossed the enemy’s mind, God knew.

He knew Adam and Eve would make a mistake, but loved them anyway. He knew that letting them stay immortal in the garden would be an incredibly cruel fate after sinning. And so, He made a plan. For those of you who have read Genesis, you know how the story goes. After he asks them what happened (fully knowing what transpired), the first cost of sin is introduced. God clothes his children, but at the expense of one of his other beloved creations (His animals), because He loves them. He sends them out of the garden to protect them from an eternity without the ability to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and a relationship with God. They would have been subjected to the consequences of sin, including the loss of their original innocence and a slow decline in their physical and spiritual state, all while remaining immortalized & trapped in wrongdoing. To give them their best chance, He had to let them go. To give the rest of the world their best chance, He had to let them go.

And from there, began the great rescue plan – something that had already been thought of eons in advance. Despite Adam and Eve’s departure from the garden, God continued to have a presence with His people. All through the Old Testament, we have testimonies of God’s faithfulness despite man’s continual succumbing to sin.

Cain’s jealousy & murder of Abel —> God showed mercy & protected Cain from being killed.

Esau & Jacob’s sibling rivalry —> God’s sovereignty over the situation & the eventual reconciliation between brothers.

Abraham & Sarah taking matters into their own hands with infertility —> God blessing both Hagar & Sarah’s sons and fulfilling promise to Abraham.

Moses’ murder & pride on the mountain —> God uses Moses to lead His people to the promised land & though Moses’ actions cost him living in the promised land himself, in God’s mercy, He lets him see the land of milk and honey before he passes.

The list goes on. Time and time again, we fail. And time and time again, there is mercy, compassion, and a plan to reconcile what was lost.

But in case you didn’t know it, He planned ahead for you too. He planned ahead for whatever was holding you back and keeping you in chains. He thought of you and knew what you’d need in your darkest moments to once again have hope, feel alive, and embrace the love that was waiting for you in your Heavenly Father.

He sent His Son – Jesus. It was the plan all along. He knew that our sin would be too great on our own and in his graciousness, He planned ahead. He thought of you when Jesus was on the cross, taking on the sin of the world, so that we could have the incredible opportunity of a relationship with God. So we could experience the radical love He has for us. So we could hear from Him through Holy Spirit in touching, personal & intimate moments. And to make sure we knew about it, He wrote it all down for us in the Bible – where we can read His love story, His great plan for us, over and over again.

So yes, the point of sharing this is to make you aware of what it looks like to love others intentionally & how God has given us a great example. We can plan ahead. Be thoughtful. Think about others needs and how we can meet them.

For example:

If you and your husband both had a rough night of sleep because the baby needed extra comfort, make the coffee for him in the morning with that special creamer he loves.

If a friend is sick and you know the only thing that brings them comfort is a specific meal like homemade chicken noodle soup, make the meal & deliver it in love.

If you know your children do better knowing the plan for the day, slow down and explain it. There’s no need to rush.

If you notice your family is gearing up for a busy week, carve out some quality time of rest.

Husbands, if you notice your wife is exhausted, give her some time alone to recharge (a nap, a bath, a walk outside).

And don’t forget to plan ahead for God, too. Set aside time with Him and make sure your heart is always open to hearing from Him. Maybe you’ll find yourself writing a blog post about how amazing His love is at 4 in the morning, too. 😉

But also, I wanted to make you aware that you are so incredibly loved and were always thought of, planned for & known so intimately that your needs were met before you knew what your needs were.

Because those words He spoke to me, He’s speaking them over you, too.

“I made a plan for you.”

“I thought ahead for you.”

“I knew every need you would have in detail and made a plan for it – because I love you.”

If you don’t yet know that, my friend, I invite you to read His love story for yourself. It just might change your life. 💕