This October, my son Aziel turned 10! And for the first time, he’s finally happy about his age. Perhaps he now feels a little more grown up, a little more independent.
I smiled as I thought back to when he was younger. Whenever someone asked, “How old are you?” he’d reply, somewhat unsatisfyingly, “I’m still just 4!”
He was mostly around older kids, and he was small compared to them. He’s still smaller than many of them, but now he has his own friends.
Something changes as we grow older, doesn’t it? We start believing that getting older means maturity or independence, that we can make our own decisions, set our own course, and sometimes even go our own way apart from guidance.
When Our Plans Don’t Go as Expected
Aziel loves to play and celebrate, and each year he looks forward to his birthday at Sky Zone (we go and have fun, not necessarily a party). It has become our little tradition.
But this year, things were different. His dad took over the planning, and I simply executed the plans, which was perfect for me. Even though I’m certified in event planning (and have done it well and still do for business), it gives me a bit of anxiety. Execution, however? That I can handle!
When Aziel realized his party would be at *Launch Entertainment Center instead of *Sky Zone, his face fell.
“Mom,” he said, “I didn’t want my birthday at Launch. I wanted it at Sky Zone.”
I tried to explain gently:
“Aziel, Sky Zone is all the way in Long Island, about an hour away. Many of your friends wouldn’t be able to come if it was that far.”
He nodded, but his heart was still set on what he wanted.
I added, “Aziel, I didn’t make the plans this time, Dad did.”
Then he said, “ok since you didn’t make the plans, I will need to speak with dad.”
I did not hear anything after that.
This was a teaching moment: sometimes a good father gives us what we need, not what we want.
Our Father Knows Best
Aziel ended up having an amazing time at Launch. The team there was gracious, his friends came, and the laughter was endless. It turned out even better than we expected.
As I watched him play, my heart whispered a lesson that echoed deeper than party plans:
How often do we bring our dreams and desires before God and say, “Lord, here’s what I want, when I want it, and how I want it?”
Instead of, “Lord here are my plans, but, Thy will be done?”
It’s easy to trust God when He agrees with our plans. It’s harder when His plans reroute us to something unfamiliar, but often, that’s where His best is found.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Like Aziel, we may want the “Sky Zone” moments, our version of fun, comfort, or dreams. But God, our good Father, often takes us to “Launch,” a different place that holds joy, growth, and purpose.
Learning to Let Go
The older we get, the more we want to plan and control our paths. We associate getter older with maturity and independence. But in the Kingdom of God, maturity looks more like dependence — a surrendered trust in the Father who sees the bigger picture.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
It’s not easy to say, “Thy will be done” when our hearts are attached to specific outcomes or expectations. When we’re attached, disappointment can follow. But when we learn to let go, we open ourselves to divine surprises, moments that exceed what we imagined, just like my son’s birthday party.
A Heart Of Surrender: Thy Will Be Done
Maybe today we’re standing in a place where things didn’t go the way we hoped.
Maybe our “Sky Zone” didn’t happen, and instead, we’re at “Launch.”
Pause and consider: could this be God’s answer in disguise? Could He be giving us exactly what we need for this season, even if it wasn’t what we asked for?
Our good Father delights in giving us good gifts (Matthew 7:11).
And sometimes, the best gift isn’t the one we requested, but the one He lovingly chose, because He has all knowledge and sees the ending before the beginning.
So today, whatever we’re facing, let’s whisper this simple prayer of trust:
“Father, not my will, but Yours be done.” — Luke 22:42
The very prayer Jesus said as he faced his assignment of going to the cross. However, because of the joy set before Him, he endured it. Because in surrender, there is peace. In obedience, there is purpose.
And in trusting His will, we too can endure whatever comes, because joy on the other side.
Lesson Learned
A good Father knows what we need, even when it’s not what we want.
When we release our plans to Him and truly mean “Thy will be done,” we discover that His way was better all along.
With grace and growth,
Sanchia and Team.
Audio Version
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*We have no affiliation with Sky Zone or Launch