Plan B by Pete Wilson: a review
There have been moments, many moments, in my journey through working motherhood when things didn’t go as planned. Or at least as I had planned them.
There was the time when a routine pre-natal exam revealed a potential birth defect in one of my children, which lead to more tests and the worse part – waiting. There was a time when my husband lost his job unexpectedly and we were left without a significant source of income for over six months. There was a time when every business opportunity disintegrated and I was left wondering, “What is my worth?” There was a time when my youngest child vomited daily, three to four times a day, for over two years before we finally found a diagnosis. It would be another year before we found a treatment plan but not before getting up to our eyeballs in medical bills and spending hundreds of dollars a month in pharmacy prescriptions.
In all these moments, life was derailed. My plans, my visions, and my dreams were halted as circumstances spun out of my control. And every single time, I was forced to face the reality of what Pete Wilson describes as Plan B – a plan that I neither asked for nor expected.
In his book, Wilson offers understanding, hope and encouragement for those who have faced Plan B moments. He thoughtfully draws upon the biblical stories of David, Joseph, Mary and Martha, as well as real-life stories from present day, to help readers move past the paralysis that a Plan B reality can evoke. Ultimately, he enables the reader to find hope (and keep faith) in even the worst possible circumstances.
Written in an approachable, conversational style, Wilson does more than recite cliche Christian platitudes. In fact, many times throughout the book he writes, “I don’t know.” For some, this may be seen as an open confession of incompetence, but the truth is that none of us truly know the things of God. Wilson writes, “The reality is…Christians often have more questions than answers” (145) and I agree. So to claim a complete knowledge of God and his ways is more untrustworthy to me than openly saying, “I don’t know.” But what Wilson does know is that despite the uncertainty Plan B thrusts into our lives, we still have faith and hope. And with these two things, we can navigate the murky waters of Plan B and come out on the other side completely transformed – for the better.
And that brings me to an important theme Wilson reiterates as he closes his book, “The choice of faith” (219). Even before reading Wilson’s book, choosing to have faith despite my circumstances was certainly the turning point in every one of my Plan B moments. Life is messy. It’s unpredictable. Often, it doesn’t follow a perfect, unencumbered plan. So every day, whether I believe God is with me or not (because there are days when I wonder, “Where are you?!”), I trust that I can step out in faith knowing that somehow it will all work out just fine.
If you’ve experienced a Plan B moment, or are in the trenches of one right now, Plan B will give you fresh hope and spiritual insight as you work through circumstances that are totally not what you planned. Read it on your own or gather a group of friends to work through the book (a study guide is included). But read the book. Even if you’ve never experienced a Plan B moment (Wow! Good for you!!) chances are you will or at the very least encounter someone who is. Having Wilson’s down-to-earth wisdom on hand can only help!