Two boys showed up for the soapbox derby with the same goal: win the race. Tim slapped his car together the night before. Boards didn’t quite line up, the wheels wobbled, and the steering was more hope than design. He figured speed would take care of itself once he got rolling.

When Wells showed up he was ready. He had a plan. He measured twice, tightened every bolt, tested the wheels, and adjusted the steering until it tracked straight. When the race started, Tim flew fast—for about five seconds—before drifting off course. Wells rolled steady, straight, and true all the way to the finish.

The Plan Begins

A goal is where you want to go. A plan is how you actually get there.

After Adam and Eve messed up, God didn’t just give up on His original plan to have a family to share His awesome creation with forever.

Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of God’s rescue plan.

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Right after Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, everything seemed broken—the relationship between people and God was damaged.

In Genesis 3:15, God promised that one day a descendant of the woman would defeat the one that hates God and deceived Adam and Eve, even though that serpent would strike back. This verse shows the starting point of God’s plan to overcome evil and restore what was lost. Long before Jesus was born, God was pointing forward to His plan to save and heal the world through a promised Savior.

The Bible is the story of how that grand plan is unfolding in history, how different people plugged into it, and what your part in it is.

As we walk together down this road called “Your Life And What Comes After” we’ve seen a lot of interesting scenery. Now we’re moving on to the next part of the journey with some new sights to see.

Where We’ve Been

So far we’ve talked about some pretty questions, right?

Why did God create the universe and people?

Why is there something instead of nothing?

How do you find your own purpose within God’s grand plan and purpose?

Here’s a brief recap of some of the main things we’ve talked about so far:

We are God’s family, and we are the reason He created this beautiful blue gem called Earth and the universe that surrounds it. His love and attention are centered on us, and our eternal destiny with Him is His grand plan—and our purpose.

If you believe your life is the result of chance alone, with no purpose, and that you are only slightly luckier and a little smarter than a chimpanzee, then you will begin to see others that way too. Don’t sell yourself or others short.

But if you come to know and believe that you are the magnificent handiwork of God—fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), created intentionally and for a purpose—then you will live differently. You will love boldly. You will stand firmly. And you will shine like the stars forever, just as Scripture promises.

Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Where We’re Going

So how does God actually carry out His plan and purpose for creation? That’s where we’re headed next. Heads up—we’re going to have to open the Bible to get there.

Because Scripture is where God reveals His plan—and shows us how He’s been carrying it out all along. And once you see it, you won’t look at your life the same way again.

Stay tuned.

Callum had grown up with the huge Christmas tree, tall enough to brush the ceiling and packed with ornaments he knew by heart. On Christmas Eve, he scanned the branches—and felt it instantly. Something was wrong. Between the silver bells and red ribbon, a space sat empty. The old brass lantern was missing.

He searched everywhere—under the couch, behind the curtains, in coat pockets. Finally, in the kitchen, he spotted a dull glint in the corner. The lantern lay there, dusty but safe. Callum carried it back and hung it where it belonged. The tree felt whole again.

Did the brass lantern ornament not matter much just because there were lot’s of other ornaments on the tree? No. To Callum they all mattered and each one was special.

You Are a Miracle

So if Callum knew each ornament and was aware of the place each one held on the tree, how much more does God know you personally and the place you hold in His creation and in His plan?

In this verse, Jesus points to sparrows—cheap, common birds, barely worth a coin—and says not one of them falls to the ground without the Father’s notice. Then He looks even closer: ‘the very hairs of your head are numbered.’

Matthew 10:29-30
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Your life is not a loose thread in the universe or a meaningless life among billions of others. You are seen, valued, and cared for by God Himself.

God knows about and pays attention to falling sparrows, and He numbers the hairs on our heads—easy to count in my case, since there are very few left.

You matter—more than you can see, and more than you can measure. You have a purpose and a life that only you can live, one whose full impact may reach farther than you ever see.

…We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
Marianne Williamson

Life is a miracle. You are a miracle. Tell yourself those two things every day and your life will become a brilliant light that can’t be dimmed.