Change of Plans

You guys all know the story of how Jesus was born.  Mary became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit, yada yada yada.  You've all heard it more than a zillion times.  But there is one part of the story we don't hear that often.  After the wise men had departed from Joseph and his new family, the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to quickly leave for Egypt with Jesus and Mary.  He told him to stay there until God tells him to return because Herod is setting out a search-and-so-called-rescue for the child to kill him.  And the bible says that once Joseph did as he was told, this fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, "I called my son out of Egypt."

All of this angered Herod, being fooled by the wise men, etc.  So he sent out for all the boys around and in Bethlehem, 2 years old and under, to be put to death.  And THIS fulfilled what God has spoken through Jeremiah:  "A cry was heard in Ramah- weeping and great mourning.  Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead."

It seems as though there are a lot of things that need to occur in order for prophecies to be fulfilled.  And they will.  It makes me wonder if my daily choices, seeming to have nothing to do with anything of human-kind changing importance, might actually matter in the end.  It's scary to think of such thoughts.  What if I actually am hindering my life, others lives?  What if I am the cause of a horrible effect?  This prophecy, of course, was for the good of mankind, and God had everyone's best intentions, even for Jesus, and even though it ended badly for Him, it was to save us all, just as He intended.  But on the flip-side of things, I wonder if things that I do during my everyday life, could actually be hindering my own personal plans that God has for me.  He knows what we will do in the end, so He knows what adjustments will eventually be made in our lives, but I just wonder.  I wonder if what I'm doing now is what He originally planned out for me, or if I messed things up, and am finally back on the right track.  Of course I know He knew the path I would take, so "adjustments" may not be the best word, but it somehow seems to fit.

I begin to think about these people with absolutely mind-blowing talents and abilities, especially in the arts.  These people that are not using their talents for God, and sometimes are using those talents to pervert our society.  Surely that is not the plan He had for them.  But perhaps because of their change of course, He will still be providing them opportunities in the future to use what they've been given for Him, and not against Him.   I'd like to believe that.  I'd like to believe that there are still as many chances as their lives will give them, that they will be offered it.  They just have to stumble upon Him somehow, I don't know.

What do you guys think?

-Tara K