Photo by Robert Couse-Baker

By Chloe Sun

On the Meyer-Briggs personality test, I am an INFJ, which stands for Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. Although it says “Judging,” it actually means “orderly” or “planning.” The J personality prefers clarity, structure, and predictability. By nature, I love to plan. I have a to-do list on my calendar. I start my day by looking at my calendar and by checking off the list one by one as I accomplish my tasks. I also put down dates for rest and social engagements. Right now it’s only August, and I’ve already started filling up my calendar for 2017, blocking out important dates and trips, looking forward to certain events and planning for them. Putting everything on my calendar not only gives me a sense of order and control over my life but also a sense of security because I know what to expect in the days and months ahead. Therefore, it is unimaginable for me to have an unplanned life. Is that even possible?

The truth is that life does not always turn out the way we planned. There are always unforeseen elements coming our way such as a family member’s illness, a car accident, a rejection letter, a failed exam, a doctor’s call, a sudden visit of a friend or a summon to jury duty. We can plan all we want but life is full of surprises. Sometimes it’s our children, spouse, parents or supervisor who seems to “interrupt” our structured lives. Other times it’s the earthquake, fire, or flood that intervenes our daily schedule, not to mention the threat of terrorists or from crazy people with guns. Where I live, there had been several fires around the mountains in our neighborhood. For two of those fires, we were ordered to evacuate voluntarily. Both times, I packed up only the basics — my laptop, flash drives, a few changes of clothes, the books I checked out from the library, and photo albums. When things like this happen, they force us to reassess our priorities and remind us that we are not in control of our lives. We can plan our lives according to our preferences, but only as God allows us to.

This brings me to a passage in the book of James: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that'” (James 4:13-15). Indeed, it is in Him that we live and move and exist (Acts 17:28). I will still plan, but I plan with the knowledge that God is the One who allows my plans to succeed and He has the right to change or delete them as He wishes.

To live an unplanned life may imply that we are totally powerless over our future or that we do not take responsibility for our lives. We can also think of it this way: We still need to do what is required of us for our daily responsibilities but we choose to relinquish control of our life direction willingly to God and let God write the chapters of our lives ( or let life run its course). This kind of life requires an unwavering trust in God’s goodness — that He will guide us and carry us through the waves of life. This kind of life also comes with a sense of adventure and thrill. We all need to find that delicate balance between a planned and an unplanned life.

Chloe Sun, PhD., has been teaching Hebrew Scriptures at Logos Evangelical Seminary since 2004.  Her research interests include culture, gender, and identity issues in the Old Testament, Asian American Interpretations of the Bible, and Wisdom Literature. She lives with her husband and son in Southern California.