Should You Plan Too Far Ahead Into The Future?

image: scienceofrelationships.com

On Sunday, I got a bad news. A very young close family friend passed away leaving very young children. It shocked us all and got my parents seriously worried about my lifestyle of living carefree.

When are you going to get married?
You have to be careful, people are dangerous.
We know you don't believe it but there are bad people out there who only think of lives to destroy and people to bring down.
Be careful who you confide in. We know you don't know how to be cunning or secretive, you inherited it from us but you don't have to relive the bad experiences it got us. Don't open up your whole life to the world.
How is your business going?

The first times you get shocked by such sad events, it resets all your thinking and plans. For me, however, I have gotten that shock too many times that I have factored it into all my plans. Or to be more accurate, I have discounted it from all my plans.

There are many things that are outside our control, regardless of how much we try to convince ourselves that we can influence them. There are pastors who have died when no one expected and left behind a young family. There were friends who suddenly passed away when we were in the university. God's way is way above ours and past searching out.

My parents look at my plans and are happy that I am being thoughtful and setting myself up for success but at the same time they are worried that I take life too simple. I don't factor in the many other things that happen in life -- unexpected events. I act like everyone is trustworthy. I act like I have nothing to lose. I act like I am immune to any harm. I act like there are no enemies. I plan too far into the future.

But do I?

The truth is I had thought hard and decisively about all these about 10 years ago. I was reading a book about missionaries and Christians who lived great lives. Some had easy lives others had very tough lives. I also read about the most influential people of the millennium and of all times, too. The one thing they all had in common was nothing. Nothing. They had nothing in common. I was a very good Christian then, way better than I am now. I prayerfully handed my life and everything about it into God's hands and decided to focus on the things he has put within my powers to change. So I don't worry about what I can't control. I act and plan like life is simple and easy. I don't worry about unexpected events. I plan like there is forever.