The Divine Plan
For this is God’s plan: to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which God has for all peoples. Colossians 1:27
Glimpses of God’s plan were given when Columba’s birth was foretold to elders of Ireland in visions and dreams. Columba’s mother Eithne dreamed she was given a great cloak that stretched from Ireland to Scotland and contained every colour of the rainbow. A youth took this radiant cloak from her, which made her extremely sad. Then the youth returned to Eithne and said ‘You have no need of grief but rather of joy and delight. The meaning of this dream is that you will bear a son, and Ireland and Scotland will be full of his teaching.’
It was through a dream that sabotage to God’s plan for Samson was averted: Lest the part destined by God for Samson should be contaminated in any details during his childhood ‘divine providence wrapped him round and preserved him uninjured’. Later Samson’s father turned against the plan to send his son to a Christian school which God had revealed at Samson’s birth. However, after a powerful dream, Amon said to his wife, ‘let us lose no time in sending our son, rather God’s son, to school, for God is with him and we ought to do nothing against God.’
The Life of St Samson of Dol
I believe that God has a Divine Plan for me. I believe that this plan is wrapped in the folds of my being, even as the oak is wrapped in the acorn and the rose is wrapped in the bud. I believe that this Plan is permanent, indestructible and perfect, free from all that is essentially bad. Whatever comes into my life that is negative is not a part of this God-created Plan, but is a distortion caused by my failure to harmonise myself with the Plan as God has made it. I believe that this Plan is Divine, and when I relax myself completely to it, it will manifest completely and perfectly through me. I can always tell when I am completely relaxed to the Divine Plan by the inner peace that comes to me. This inner peace brings a joyous, creative urge that leads me into activities that unfold the Plan, or it brings a patience and a stillness that allow others to unfold the Plan to me.
Glenn Clark
Lord, help me to relax into your plan for me.
Unfold it for me as the acorn unfolds into the oak.