God Makes Plans, too

It’s best to leave expectations at home when visiting holy places. God may have other plans in store. That’s the lesson I learned when I struck out to visit Medjugorje last spring.

I’m a planner. In fact, I enjoy it, and I tend to maximize my plans. Upon confirming a business trip to Split, Croatia, I had the ingenious idea to plan a day trip to Medjugorje. Located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Medjugorje is about two hours by car from my conference hotel. I would hire a driver to go for a day of prayer, Mass, and reflective journaling – a perfect day of quiet peace before a hectic work week. I felt even more affirmed in my plan when I discovered that the date of my day trip was April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday. 

All the logistical plans fell into place nicely, as if Mary herself was acting as my personal travel agent. The day came, and my driver met me at 7:00am in my hotel lobby – right on time. 

We took off without traffic congestion to impede our drive, and I suddenly became elated to spend my day in Medjugorje. But it wasn’t my day; it was the Lord’s Day, and He had other plans. As soon as we turned onto the highway, my driver began lecturing on the history, the geography, the culture, his family – the whole shebang one would expect from a professional tour guide. As I struggled to actively listen, I felt my desire for a peaceful day quickly slipping away.

Once we arrived in Medjugorje, I was ready to attend Mass. But neither my tour guide nor I knew where to go for the English-speaking Mass. We spent upwards of 45 minutes wandering around, asking people if they knew where to go, and finally concluding by the lack of English-speaking people present that I’d gotten the wrong time for the Mass. Instead, I attended Mass in German, which was fine but not what I had planned.

After Mass, I tried to find a quiet place to sit and pray. For anyone who has been to a major holy place like Medjugorje, you can guess that it’s easier said than done. Medjugorje alone welcomes over one million visitors each year. People were everywhere. I finally gave up when the next Croatian-speaking Mass began over loudspeakers, which I’m pretty sure one could hear from anywhere in the town.

Meeting up with my tour guide, I invited him to join me for lunch. At our table in a crowded restaurant, I listened to him chatter on about life in his part of the world. In the moment, I realized there’s no point in holding onto my plan for a quiet peaceful day. Clearly, God had another plan in store for me – to spend this day with this man. 

Christ Risen, sculpture by Andrej Ajdic in Medjugorje

Suddenly, he looked me straight in the eye and said he had something personal to share. Puzzled, I nodded for him to continue. He proceeded to tell me that he grew up as a Communist. His father was a Communist, so that’s what he was as well. He married a Catholic woman. They have three daughters, who go to Mass with his wife. But he never gave much thought about religion. He also shared that he has been struggling with chronic pain in his right hip for the past few years. It worries him that the pain will prevent him from doing his job and providing for his family.

While he was waiting for me to attend Mass, he stumbled upon the Statue of the Risen Christ, a 30-foot-tall bronze Jesus situated in a small garden beyond the main church. He took a seat on a stone bench, likely not the most comfortable seating arrangement for someone with chronic hip pain. Then, he waited in that spot for over an hour before rejoining me.

“When I sat down, the pain in my hip instantly left me for that time,” he remarked with a serious expression. “But what’s even more remarkable is that I felt a peace I’ve never felt in my entire life up to that point. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

The Peace of Christ flowed in and through this man, giving him a sense of hope for good health and a sign that he’s not alone. He finished telling me how he wants to return to this place with his wife and daughters.

How beautiful, I thought as I witnessed God’s Plan come to be for this day. I don’t know the rest of this man’s story – if he visited Medjugorje again with his family and if he continues to seek Jesus. But I feel grateful to have accompanied him on this day.

In the end, my day trip to Medjugorje was quite profound, although different from what I expected. Back at my hotel, I smiled to myself as I reflected on the day. God had taken my plan and made it His Own.

Reflect:

• How might God be trying to enter your plans?

• Is there someone in your daily life God is asking you to accompany?

Melissa Schmid