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Friday, January 21, 2011

Life Happens


Life happens - regardless of how we plan it.

Over the weekend I carefully prepared my schedule and to-do lists.
 
Martin Luther King Day... no problem. I'll take one for the team and allow a long weekend on my otherwise coveted, usually-productive Monday. But Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and especially Friday - ahem, my birthday - those are mine, ok God?

And you know where I'm going with this. Whoever said, "We plan. God laughs." captured exactly how I feel.

Tuesday we had an unexpected snow day. Two doctors appointments and the errands I had planned? Uncheck. Uncheck. Uncheck.

Then came Wednesday with its 2-hour delay and even more unchecks. I'm all for safe roads, especially when my son's on a school bus. But that's when I threw in the towel and decided to watch the movie Invictus (which the Netflix people had been waiting to get back anyway.)

At my writers group meeting on going-as-planned-Thursday God and I shared a chuckle over a wonderful presentation called "Our Time for His Glory" by a Franklin-Covey instructor. After watching my week of plans unravel, I could hear God loud and clear.


"I know that's what you had planned, but I had something different in mind,"

Ok, 'better', concedes this dense child of God.

"Remember those things you don't make time for - prayer, recreation, rest, family time, writing for the fun of it - I squeeze those things back into your schedule. Your infertility? My plan. Noah's birthmom's unplanned pregnancy? My plan. Adoptive motherhood, a book project, and the end of your church secretary career? Snow days and two-hour delays? My plan. My plan. My plan. And still My plan."
I almost feared waking up this morning. But God threw me a bone, a birthday gift if you will. Today's snowy roads and 2-hour delay won't impact my schedule that much. But it just might affect my plans.

Thanks, God, for 37 years (and counting) of love and lessons.

3 comments:

Hope said...

I must be in the same 'class' as I have been learning this lesson, too! I believe the Lord is asking me to take my hand off the wheel in all areas of my life because when I do I am able to see that his plan/direction is so much better than I could have ever imagined. Thanks for the encouragement today and Happy Birthday!

Susan Skitt said...

Happy Birthday Michele!!! God sure does have a way of letting us know that our good plans may not line up with His - but His are always best! I have a story in A Cup of Comfort for Christian Women coming out in February called, "Jesus Took The Wheel," that deals with that very idea - what a much needed lesson in forgiveness I learned that day!

I enjoyed Thursday's presentation as well. I love how Kim was able to share all the wonderful Bible verses that God has been teaching her within the presentation at our writers group. To God be the glory!

Hugs!!!

Pam Halter said...

I live my life with Plan B in my back pocket all the time. We never know what's going to happen with Anna's health or seizures. So, I make my plans knowing they could be changed in the space of a phone call from school or a seizure on the couch.

And yet, God enables me to get my writing and quilting done. He is good!

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