Making plans.

In the book of James (in the New Testament of the Bible), chapter 4, verses 13-17, the writer addresses the subject of making plans.

It reads:

"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.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Several years ago, RevDel (another title for my HH) taught me about these two letters. It might have come up because someone signed an email with D.V.                             

D.V.

Deo Volente.  

This latin phrase from 1767 means 'if God wills" or "God willing."  It certainly fits with what James is saying in the passage above.

As we make plans, first we pray about what God wants us to do.  Then we pray some more, get counsel, confirm, affirm and then follow what we believe is His will.  We pray our actions will be consistent with the Bible which tells us in Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Rabbit trail:  As Christians, prayer for His will excludes praying in direct opposition to what is already written in the Bible.  I once had a client tell me he had prayed about it. He was leaving his wife for another woman.  God had brought her into his life and God wanted him to be happy, didn't He?  I listened but I also chastened:  we don't have to pray about what is clearly evident from scripture.

A few of you know I made plans the first time to retire March 2022.  I was leaving contract work where I'd been providing on-line/video therapy.  The company changed requirements for contracted licensed therapists - requirements that I could not agree to.  I decided to stop practicing.  I had turned 65 in January and it seemed like the right time to retire.

Retirement that time turned into more of a sabbatical.  Which was God's provision because, as it turned out, my time, attention & energy were necessitated by an unexpected family situation.

In 2024, my HH Del (handsome husband) asked me to get re-licensed to help with our finances and to see what God would do in bringing in extra income.  I agreed and jumped through all the necessary hoops and was licensed again August 2024.

I decided to go "cash only" to keep things simple. Simple for me was NOT what people wanted from me.  Even reduced rates were not an option to those who inquired about my practice.  I only had ONE (count of 1) ongoing client from 2024-2025.  Ironically, she was my first client in 2024.  I told her about renewing my license. I remember saying:You may be the whole reason I was re-licensed.  Maybe so because it certainly wasn't to boost our income.

It doesn't always turn out the way we think it will!  (In another post, I will share an example of when we experienced this after leaving Arkansas and moving to St. Louis.)

With my license up for renewal August 31 - just a few days ago - Del and I agreed to let it go.  This is a decision that seems to be the end of being a social worker after 43 years. In practice only because I will always be a social worker at heart.

What's next is next.

D.V.