"We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer." -Proverbs 16:1 NLT
After graduating from high school, Tanner McGrew dreamed of playing college hoops. He wasn’t recruited or invited to walk-on to any college basketball teams either. So he decided to go to pursue a partial trombone scholarship as a music major at Division II West Virginia Wesleyan College. During his freshman year, McGrew played intramural basketball. He expected to do the same during his sophomore year until one day, the Head Coach of Men’s Basketball team, Patrick Beilein (son of the former University of Michigan coach, John Beilein), saw him working out at the gym. Beilein approached the 6-foot-8 McGrew wondering if he would like to walk on to the basketball team because they needed an additional player. In addition, Beilein said that McGrew probably wasn’t going to play.
Next thing you know, Tanner McGrew became a star for the team. During his junior year, he averaged 16 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. He increased his production as a senior averaging 22.6 points and a Division II leading 12.4 rebounds per game. Before the end of McGrew’s senior year, someone had reached out to him about playing professional basketball in Australia. After doing some research and getting married to his sweetheart, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity to play in Australia for the South West Metro Pirates where he averaged 21.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game and was voted Most Valuable Player. After playing professionally in Australia, McGrew went on to play in Denmark for SISU Copenhagen (2016-2017), where he averaged 16.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. After his stops in Australia and Denmark, McGrew went on to play in France before receiving an opportunity to play in the NBA G League with the Memphis Hustle and the Salt Lake City Stars. On February 19, 2019, he received an honor that many basketball players long for. He earned an opportunity to play basketball for his country. He was named a member of the February 2019 USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team.
God has most certainly been blessing his life. His plan was to go to West Virginia Wesleyan on a trombone scholarship but he ended up playing basketball at the highest level, professionally and internationally. It is so important for us to set goals for ourselves and “write the vision and make it plain” as the Bible says in Habakkuk 2:2. As important as it is to go to God in prayer and ask Him for the desires of our hearts, we must also pray and ask Him what is His will for our lives. Our desires must align with God’s desires for us. Every day of our lives, we should always live to glorify and honor Him. We should ask God about what His will because He has blessed us all with various gifts. We are meant to use those gifts for His glorify and make the name of Jesus known to the world.
As we grow in our relationship with God, we must understand that “God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). The Christian walk is faith journey in which we must trust God plan, timing, and purpose for our lives. God has a plan for our lives and doesn’t want us to waste our time doing things, pursuing dreams, occupations, business ventures, or relationships that He didn’t desire for us in the first place. Sometimes God doesn’t allow things to work out the way we planed because:
- God has a better opportunity or future spouse for us.
- We are not ready for it spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, motionally, etc. God will not give us something that we desire outside of timing. If He gave us what we desired before we were truly ready for it, we could potentially ruin them because of our lack of maturity.
- God wants to build character and patience in us so that we can be more like Jesus, which is the ultimate goal Christians. As we grow to be like Jesus Christ, we can be the best husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, professionals, friends, siblings, and children that we can be.
We must mature enough to the point that we are just as happy for the closed doors as the open doors because we know that God is always working behind the scenes on our behalf. Making our relationship with God our first priority in life, obeying His word (the Bible), trusting Him, His timetable, and His plan are extremely important if we truly want to receive everything that He has for us. God is in control and everything He does is for a reason. He is our Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us. When we follow God’s plan, He will begin to work in our hearts and lives, opening doors that you would least expect. Others will begin to wonder the secret of how you succeed. That is a perfect opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. As a result, God’s name will be glorified. Trust God’s plan—not your own plan—and watch what God will do in your life.
The Christian walk is a journey of faith.
Romans 8:28
Jeremiah 29:11
Matthew 6:33
Proverbs 16:1
Proverbs 16:9
Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 55:8-9
Isaiah 46:10