“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?

Isaiah 45:9

As I attend ACFW this week, I have dreams and aspirations. I’ve read enough to know my chances. Most writers never really make it. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to try or to put effort into something. Actually, God calls me to my best (Colossians 3:23-24). But as I review my efforts, I have to acknowledge and prepare for rejection nonetheless.

What happens if my dreams fall apart?

For many of us, that’s a difficult question. You may not place your dreams in a writing career, but perhaps, you desire marriage, a house, a family…

The list goes on and on. In reading through Isaiah, it often references this scenario. God is described as a potter. We’re the clay. He’s the one shaping. When our dreams fall apart, we often want to ask ‘why’, but that’s like clay critiquing its maker’s work. It’s foolish. Nonsensical even.

Instead, when it’s hard to see the future, why don’t we trust in the Maker’s design. He knows the end shape. In Jeremiah 29:11, it says:

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’

This verse is written in a unique context. God had told Israel they would be carried away into captivity and after that time He offered this promise.

See, God doesn’t always work according to our plans or dreams. He knows the bigger picture, and we can trust Him even when our dreams feel dashed. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean we should quit; instead, let’s focus our priorities. The Maker’s plan first; our plan second.