EquipHer Vol. 32: "When Your Plans Are Not What You Planned…"Sample

Day 2 — A Change of Course

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19, NIV)

After that “yes” in the coffee shop, Elisa continued down the path of completing her law degree and internship, but in the meantime, also managed Carrie and her husband's home with dedication, care, and passion.

Over a few months, she started to realize that what started out as a small side commitment began to grow in completely unexpected ways. It wasn’t long until other property owners in the same building noticed her professionalism and joyous personality, and began asking if she would be available to manage their properties as well.

Before she knew it, property management opportunities had started to multiply, and she became increasingly passionate about serving her new clients with passion and excellence. However, at the same time, the road she had been pursuing in law—the one she had studied for years—began to feel increasingly hard to walk. Her enthusiasm in that field was fading, and despite her effort, Elisa sensed that it was no longer the right direction for her.

The doors that once seemed promising were now closing one after another; however, there was no frustration in her heart—only a growing awareness that God was redirecting her path and writing her story differently than she had planned.

There are moments in life when the plans we have carefully constructed suddenly shift or simply do not unfold as we have expected. That is not a sign of failure—it is an invitation to trust God’s perfect direction. When He changes the course of our lives, His goal is always the same: to align us with His purpose for our lives. Elisa did not face that transition with fear or sadness, but with the peace that comes from knowing that God’s direction is always better than our own.

Perhaps you are in a similar season: a door has closed, a project did not work out as planned, or a dream seems to have faded, but we encourage you to remember this truth: God’s redirection is often His way of protecting the purpose for which He created you. It is how He leads you toward a path that you may have never chosen on your own, but one that will bear fruit over time.

God does not simply change our plans—He elevates them. The “new things” He promises (see Isaiah 43:19) often begin to sprout in the soil of our disappointments. It is in those moments that we learn His faithfulness is not measured by the stability of our certainties, but by the perfection and constancy of His plans and promises.

As Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (NIV). All things—even those we do not yet understand. Elisa experienced this step by step: every closed door in the legal field made room for new opportunities in her property management journey, leading her closer to the calling God had placed on her life. The only thing she had to be willing to do was trust God and say: “yes.”

Prayer: Lord, teach me not to fear seasons of transition but to see them as signs of Your hand at work in my life. Help me recognize that every closed door is an invitation to make room for something new You have already prepared for me. Keep my heart steady, even when I do not understand where You are leading me. Amen.