Harry’s Journey From Plumber to Pastor: How Jeremiah 29:11 Proves God Has a Plan

Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead as he tightened the last pipe under the kitchen sink. His body was tired, his hands rough from years of work, but his heart burned with something far greater than fixing leaks. Harry dreamed of becoming a pastor.

Even while fixing broken pipes, Harry held on to the belief that God had a greater plan for his life.

Each day as he drove his work truck from house to house, he wrestled with the thought. Could God really use a plumber to lead a church? The doubt gnawed at him whenever he compared himself to men who already stood behind pulpits.

He remembered reading Jeremiah 29:11 during a particularly hard week. “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The verse felt personal, almost like God was speaking directly into his fear.

Harry’s marriage had been tested by long hours and financial struggles. He often wondered if his wife resented his dream of ministry when bills still stacked up on the counter. Yet she reminded him, “If God has put this in your heart, He will make a way.”

One Saturday morning, Harry’s pastor asked him to share a short devotional at the men’s breakfast. Nervous, he prepared all week. Standing in front of the group with trembling hands, he shared Jeremiah 29:11 and how he believed God had a plan for every man in that room.

The response shocked him. Men approached afterward, telling him how much they needed that encouragement. One even said, “Harry, you spoke like a man who has a calling.” The words stayed with him long after he left.

Still, plumbing work waited. Pipes still leaked, toilets still overflowed, and customers still complained. But every wrench he turned reminded him that God’s work can happen anywhere, even under a sink.

There were days when Harry doubted again. What if he wasn’t good enough? What if his past mistakes disqualified him? Each time, the Spirit reminded him of the promise in Jeremiah 29:11. God has a plan, not Harry’s plan, not the world’s plan, but His.

Over time, Harry began leading small Bible studies in the homes of clients who trusted him. What began as fixing faucets turned into conversations about Christ. Harry realized his ministry was already happening, it just didn’t look like a pulpit yet.

One evening, Harry’s young son asked, “Dad, do you think God will let you be a pastor one day?” Harry knelt down, smiled, and said, “Son, I believe God has a plan for my life. Whatever that looks like, I just want to follow Him.”

The more Harry leaned on that truth, the more peace he found. Instead of striving to make things happen, he trusted God’s timing. He knew if the Lord wanted him to shepherd a church, the door would open.

Harry continued faithfully in his work, but his heart grew more confident. He wasn’t wasting his years. God was shaping him, teaching him humility, patience, and endurance.

When his church finally asked him to begin training for pastoral leadership, Harry broke down in tears. The plumber who once doubted himself now saw the beginning of a new chapter unfolding.

Looking back, Harry realized God had been preparing him all along. Every pipe repaired, every family prayed for, every late-night doubt wrestled with, none of it was wasted.

Harry’s story is proof that Jeremiah 29:11 is not just a verse for the wall. It is the living truth that God has a plan, one that gives hope and a future for every man who trusts Him.

Where do you find it hardest to trust that God has a plan?

• In your career
• In your family
• In your finances
• In your future