When Things Do Not Go As Planned

It seems like very few things in life happen the way you think they are going to occur.  When Things Do Not Go As Planned, what do you do?  We can spend time organizing and preparing and planning and yet, in the end, it is rare that everything goes just like you thought it would go!

I am not for a moment suggesting that we should stop planning, organizing, or preparing.  If we stopped doing these important and necessary things that contribute to an orderly life we would really be in a messy situation.  We live in an unpredictable world so it is a valuable activity that brings order to our often out-of-control life.  It is also in those chaotic moments of feeling utterly out of control that we can evaluate what we would do differently and learn from our sticky situations.  When things don’t go as planned what do we do?

Yesterday, was one of those days for me.  The sun had hardly risen when I received a phone call!  It was supposed to be a normal Monday, but it turned out to be anything but.  My husband had risen early to make the half-hour drive to take our cat Squirt to the county Humane Society to be “fixed”.  My beloved husband made it within 8 feet of the front door when the cat busted through the metal door of our cat carrier and proceeded to run away into the surrounding woods!

Can you believe it!?!

What ensued was my husband calling into work and taking the day off, me enlisting the help of our children who had free schedules, and spending the day searching the local back roads and acres of woods of Delaware County.   We ended the day with the help of the staff at the Humane Society setting a trap filled with tuna with the hope of a hungry Squirt returning in the night!   We proceeded to fall into bed, dirty, sad, and Squirtless.

When Things Do Not Go As Planned

• I never planned to have a husband with a brain tumor who would have seizures as a result of the surgery.
• I never planned on having an Autistic child.
• I never planned on having to put my Dad in an Alzheimer’s Memory Unit or that my Mom would fall and break her hip all in the same year.
• I never planned on having an Autoimmune Disease.

Yesterday, things didn’t go as planned. I was crying my way through the woods searching for my lost pet, God met me there!

As strange as it may sound, I suddenly felt surrounded by my Savior’s love.  It is far from the first time Christ’s tender mercies have descended upon my undeserving soul.  Yesterday, it came as a peace that filled me and enabled me to appreciate God’s amazing creation.  While I was walking, I felt like I could accept that God would take care of everything no matter how the search ended, no matter if we got Squirt back or not. God is still in control and I could rest in his plan.  Somehow, Jesus’s plan is always better than my own.

Then, He presented me with a gift!  I have always taken great pleasure in flowers.  I guess you could say it is a passion of mine and flowers always make me happy.  While romping through the woods God showed me a variety of new wildflowers that I never knew existed here in Ohio.  I saw Spring Beauties and Dutchman’s Breeches!  I saw Trout Lilies and many flowers that I did not even know the name of.  I knew that my Father in heaven was meeting me in my trouble and worry and showing His love to me!

I am sure you have had your share of unexpected and unplanned experiences and some may be much harder than what I have experienced in my life!  It is with that fact in mind that I want to pray that each one of you opens your heart to what God has to show and teach you.

Today, as we walk through uncharted waters, let us remind ourselves that we are not alone!   God will show his love to each one of us in intimate ways that speak to each of our souls and bring us much-needed peace!

Let each one of us take time to contemplate God’s sovereignty and love for each one of us today!

YOUR TURN…

How has God met you today?

Blessings,