Different Plans

Martha was born in Ogden, Utah, to a conservative Mormon family. Her mother died when she was thirteen, the very time a young girl needs her mother to direct her towards womanhood. After her Mother's death, the family (which consisted of Martha's father, 3 older sisters, one older brother, Martha and one younger brother) fell apart.
After a few hard, lonely years went by, Martha found herself pregnant. This was 1926 and these things, especially in her community and in her family, weren't met with any grace. Not knowing what to do, where to go or who to turn to, and feeling she had no other choice, Martha decided to kill herself. She was alone, unmarried and she couldn't live or have her family live through the shame of an illegitimate pregnancy and birth. Martha didn't know Jesus' love yet, but He knew her, and His plans were very different than hers.
At the darkest point, Martha shared with a friend her plans for ending her life. When her friend's older brother Jack, who was in the Navy at the time, heard about Martha's plans of suicide, he said " tell Martha not to kill herself, I'll marry her." And that's just what he did.
Jack had been raised in the same closed Mormon community and knew what the response would be to Martha's pregnancy. In spite of his rough ways, he was a good-hearted man, always fighting for the underdog. Jack told Martha he would marry her and give the baby a name, then they would divorce. That was his plan, but God had other plans. Jack didn't believe in Jesus' love yet , but Jesus believed in him.
Martha and Jack married in April of 1926, and moved to a small town in California. In spite of having been raised in a conservative area, they were both hard-drinking, hard-living people. The plans Jack had of divorcing right away didn't materialize. Not only did they stay together after the first baby, a girl, was born, but 2 years later, they added another baby girl to their family.
Being of Irish descent, fighting and drinking were in Martha and Jack's blood. Arguments filled their life and marriage for the first 5 years. Then something miraculous happened. They both met Jesus, and the course of their lives and the lives of their descendants were changed forever. Gone were the nights of raised voices, and broken dreams. A peace they had never known before filled their home. The oldest girl even went around staring at her mother, hardly understanding what she was saying since the cursing that had been such a part of everyday language in her home, was now gone.
Instead of the death that Satan wanted to bring to Martha and her unborn child, Christ brought life and a heritage of holiness. From the 34 year union of Martha and Jack, came 5 children, 4 of whom are serving God and have raised their families to serve or know of Him. There are over 5 ministers or ministers wives that have come from their union and many community and church leaders.
God knew that Jack and Martha were His, even before they did. He knew the plans He had for them, plans for hope and a future. A future with Him.
In the years that followed Martha's conversion, she responded, when asked about the stigma of those early times "It's under Christ's blood." meaning, God has forgotten and forgiven, why should I do less?
If you have a past that continues to haunt you, be thankful for it. Just like Martha and Jack, you have no idea what will come from your mistakes. I know that if you leave it in God's hands, it will work for good. You have His word on it!

Genesis 50:20 - "As for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (NASB)

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)