In the 1880s, James Naismith, spent 3 years in a seminary but never became a pastor. He earned a medical degree but never practiced medicine. As a teacher at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, he invented a game he hoped would hold his students' interest in the gym during the long winter months. With a soccer ball and a couple of peach baskets nailed to the balcony above the hardwood floor, Dr Naismith invented basketball and changed the world of sports.

He didn't become what he set out to be. His life moved in an entirely different direction from what he had originally planned. When we think of the direction our own lives have taken we may find that we are living far differently than the life we had planned for ourselves. Maybe you studied theater in high school and imagined yourself starring in Broadway musicals; perhaps you were the MVP of your school sports teams and dreamed of playing on a professional team. We all had an image of the life we wanted, but God's plans for our lives led us in other directions. We may find ourselves wondering what might have been, but can you honestly say that you are disappointed with the outcome? You see, God's plans for us are perfect and if you've sought His direction for your life then you are exactly where you are supposed to be!

When the "Father of Basketball" died in 1939 at age 78, he had no idea what he had created. The game's phenomenal appeal was still decades away! Like James Naismith, we may never know how what we've done on Earth will reach into the future, but God does. And on days when our future seems bleak, we can be comforted knowing that God set the course of our lives and he knows where we're heading because he's leading us there.

Suggested Prayer: Dear Lord, even though I seek my own way and follow my own desires, you always lead me back to the path you have carefully designed for me. Help me to know that your way for me is perfect and that you will walk beside me every step of the way. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1.    Romans 9:20 (ESV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Veronica B.