“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  I have come to realize and to accept that for the most part or even more often than not things do not always go exactly as planned. As a matter of fact, if we are honest with our selves, we will come to accept that things rarely go as planned. There is always something or someone that causes a change, a revision, an update, a reconsideration, a doubt, a prayer, a plan b. Even when the desired result is achieved, the original plan was in someway or another modified, slightly changed, scrapped entirely or came to fruition by the help of God’s grace. And how can we seriously expect that a plan will always go as planned or be well executed when there are so many things and variables to consider like time, weather, space and people that cannot be easily managed, guided or controlled.  There never seems to be enough time or time is going by too slowly today or it is going by faster today than yesterday. Or the weather at times can be so unpredictable that it rains when the forecasters say no chance of showers or it doesn’t rain when they indicate a high probability of precipitation.  And what about all the people that need to be considered, managed, guided or controlled including ourselves? Will they perform as you envisioned? Will they do exactly what you said? Will they be prompt in their response, punctual in their delivery, right on time and according to plan? When we look upon the Cross and the events leading to the Passion and Death of our Lord, we realize the Disciples did not expect it would end up this way even though Jesus told them it would. When we consider the hands and feet of the Risen Christ and the events that took place after his Resurrection, we realize that it was not the Scribes and the Pharisees intention that God’s plan will continue this way even though Jesus told them it would. God’s will is amazing. A gift always in our best interest. If we place our trust in God, if we surrender our plan to his, if we believe that God is always in control and acting in our best interest, then everything will always go as planned and be perfectly executed. “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”