Everywhere I turn people are talking about vision.

We must have a vision for this and that. Or our church, our youth, our school, our class, our lives…

Vision, it seems, has become the theme of my life.

It is not a bad theme to have, really, when you have a clear an purposeful vision. But when your vision is a little fuzzier than you like, or your vision doesn’t quite match with God’s vision for you, it can be downright frustrating.

Or, let’s be real for a minute, it can even be annoying.

I’ve always been a planner. I like having detailed instructions and I’m one of the only people I know who reads instruction manuals (Yes, I read them—I don’t just skim them or use them for door stops). But my vision for my life has not turned out quite the way I thought it would. And yes, I planned it all out when I was about 12. I still have a pretty decent list of goals I wrote that I have been systematically checking off and, of course, adjusting as life changes, because let’s face it, I’m not the same person I was when I was 12. The point is, I’ve always had plans.

Recently though, I’ve realized that plans and vision are not quite the same thing and despite the fact that my plans were and are pretty good, God’s plan—well, if I stop being so arrogant and just listen to it—has real vision and actual purpose in it that my plans well, just lack.

And that terrifies me.

It also thrills me.

Mostly it confuses me and my plans.

By natural inclination leans toward existentialism, but the world isn’t irrational. With God at the center of it, the bigger picture becomes clear and relatable even to someone who is as confused as I can be. Or as stubborn as I can be. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” but the perfect plans of God almighty will always, always guide (Robert Burns/ “To a Mouse”),. And true vision really can change the world.