Praise for
PLAN B
No matter what youre going through, Plan B will help you get through it. Plan B is a down-to-earth book written by a down-to-earth pastor. Authentic hope is only a book away!
Mark Batterson
senior pastor, National
Community Church,
and author of Primal
Pete Wilson is a young, dynamic leader with a growing church and a heart to see people reach out and find Christ in the midst of any and every circumstance. His sincerity and desire to disarm some of lifes difficult twists and turns with godly perspective will help anyone struggling with lifes realities and Plan B.
Brian Houston
senior pastor, Hillsong Church
Hope is packaged and sold in many different ways in our society, often wrapped with false promises and an unrealistic view of life. This is why PlanB is such an important book. Pete deals openly and honestly with the disappointments we experience, pointing us to a hope that endures, sustains, and overcomes.
Jeff Henderson
pastor, Buckhead Church
I most appreciate this book for its honesty. Pete Wilson avoids the easy answers that we all have heard about suffering. With real-life stories, the wisdom of Scripture, and an authentic search for the redeeming dimension of tragedy, this book will serve all of us who wrestle with what to do when life doesnt deliver us what we expected.
Nancy Beach
Willow Creek Association
Pete Wilson is a tremendous communicator whose warmth and care for people are evident on every page of this fantastic book. Plan B is a powerful resource for the detours of our lives. I wish this book would have been available years ago when some of my Plan As crashed, but Im so thankful for the wisdom of its pages for my Plan Bs today.
Jud Wilhite
senior pastor, Central Christian Church, and author of Eyes
Wide Open
While reading Plan B , I cheered, wept, and rediscovered parts of my faith that Id long given up on finding. Like a conversation with an old friend, Pete Wilsons reflections about God and life are engaging, sensitive, and moving. As far as Im concerned, if youre working on plan A, Plan B is a good prerequisite.
Matthew Paul Turner
author of Churched and
Hear No Evil
In a generation that faces ever increasing disappointment with life, this book masterfully reminds us that God is at work and turns everything around for good. As you read Plan B , you will sense the genuine love and concern from a pastor who cares. Well done, Pete.
Chris Hodges
pastor, Church of the Highlands
If Plan A for your life isnt working out too well, youre not alone. In this book, Pete Wilson helps you make sense of lifes frustrations and disappointments. The stories in Plan B remind you once again that God, who began a good work in you, is faithful to complete it.
Robert Emmitt
senior pastor, Community Bible Church
2009 Pete Wilson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc .
Thomas Nelson, Inc . titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New Century Version . 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc . Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are from Holy Bible: New International Version . 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version . 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Page design: Walter Petrie
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wilson, Pete.
Plan B : what do you do when God doesnt show up the way you thought he would? / Pete Wilson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8499-4650-9 (pbk.)
1. Consolation. 2. DisappointmentReligious aspectsChristianity. 3. SufferingReligious aspectsChristianity. 4. Trust in GodChristianity. I. Title.
BV4905.3.W55 2010
248.86dc22
2009045911
10 11 12 13 14 RRD 5 4 3 2 1
Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook
Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.
To all who choose to believe,
in the midst of their Plan B,
that one day faith will win over doubt,
light will win over darkness,
love will win over hate,
and all things will be redeemed
and exist the way they should.
In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response Here]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).
CONTENTS
To Brandi, Jett, Gage, and Brewer... I love each one of you more than life itself. I cant imagine the journey without you guys. Thanks for your patience, love, and support through the early mornings and late evenings.
To my Cross Point Church family... thank you for allowing me to serve you. Youve created a community where everyones accepted, nobodys perfect, and anything is possible. I love being your pastor.
To the Cross Point staff team... where do I start? Its such an honor to wake up every day and work with such an awesome group of all-stars. I wouldnt be in ministry today if it wasnt for you confronting and redeeming my desire to give up!
To Maurilio Amorim and Shannon Litton... thanks for your wisdom, faith, and dedication to this book. We all know Plan B would never have made it to this point without you.
To Anne Christian Buchanan... thanks for adding your gift with words to this book. You continuously challenged me to be a better writer.
To Mike Hyatt and my entire team at Thomas Nelson: Matt Baugher, Dale Wilstermann, Emily Sweeney, Kristi Johnson, Stephanie Newton, Paula Major, Sally Hofmann, Rick Spruill, Gary Davidson, Mark Schoenwald, and David Moberg... thank you guys so much for believing in me and giving me this amazing platform to share this important message.
Do you remember the day you discovered your life wasnt going to turn out quite the way you thought?
It happens to everyone sooner or later.
All of us have had dreams, wishes, goals, and expectations that, for a variety of reasons, have not come to fruition.
Plans fizzle. Expectations come to nothing. Trusted people let us downor we let ourselves down. Dreams shatter or slip away.
Has it happened to you?
Plan A comes to an abrupt stop, and youre not sure if there even is a Plan B.
Maybe the realization hits you in the form of illness or even death a terrifying diagnosis, a sudden descent into the world of hospital beds and IVs, the sudden loss of a close friend or family member. Maybe it involves a disillusioning church experience or a financial reversal.