When ‘Plan A’ Falls Apart

John and Stella Chhan moved to Seal Beach, CA and opened Donut City — a small shop that’s become a local favorite. For 28 years the Chhans arrived at 2 a.m. every morning to bake donuts and open by 4:30. But last September Stella suffered an aneurysm forcing John to run the shop alone, and sacrifice valuable time with Stella. Everything began to suffer, until a customer asked about Stella’s absence. News of her illness spread quickly, and now local residents are hurrying to empty John’s daily inventory so he can close early — often before 8:30 a.m.!

Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn — a job or family situation brings heartbreak, or a diagnosis takes us by surprise. Those dark moments can feel like the end — but they don’t have to be. Just because Plan A didn’t turn out like we hoped, doesn’t mean Plan B can’t still be an unexpected blessing. So then, how can you shift your perspective to think differently about the future?

• As humans we need to process and heal, and may need a reminder of what is steadfast. As the Psalmist writes “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)
• Circumstances can bump us off-course — but nothing is a surprise to God. He can help us find our new normal. “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” (Psalm 40:3)
• When things fall apart, we have a unique invitation to dream anew. Do you want to travel more, make new friends, impact lives, volunteer with your favorite charity? We love when people who are passionate about the work of organizations they care about and explore creative ways to serve with them. Some have even chosen to include us as a beneficiary in their Will so they can bless their family and change lives too.

Jeremiah 29:11 says God’s plans are “to prosper you and not to harm you…
to give you hope and a future.”  What ‘Plan B’ is God speaking to your heart?