When Your Plans go Awry

I'm sitting here writing this blog after the kids have had a long weekend off from school. I had such a good weekend with them but have been so ready for them to go back to school. Last night I came up with so many plans to get things accomplished today. I was going to be so productive. But then the snow started, and kept coming. I woke up this morning to the official “School is Cancelled” announcement and there went my big plans for the day, out the window and into the snow.

So here I am, discouraged and frustrated that once again my plans have been thwarted. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids, but sometimes mama needs a break, especially when this post is supposed to be up soon and I have yet to even consider what to write about. Luckily, this change in plans has given me an idea to run with. Hopefully I can write this blog for you so that it is up in time with little distraction from the peanut gallery that it currently soaking in some snuggly TV time on the couch so that I can get some work done.

We've all heard it said that even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. This phrase can even be found in the Bible, albeit written a little differently and with a bit more substance. James 4:13 says "13Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." At first glance this verse made me feel quite insignificant. On closer inspection though it isn’t meant to make me feel insignificant, instead, it is meant to make me realize that the time we have is short. Only God knows how much time we have left in our lives. If we continue with these verses, it goes on to say, "15Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.' 16As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17If anyone, then knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." Today, for me, these verses are screaming “get it done” and “stop letting distractions get in the way”. So on that note, here I am, busting out this post and hoping and praying to do it justice so that it helps even just one person.

Another few verses I felt it necessary to mention are in Philippians chapter 2 verses 14-16

"14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain." Yes, I will admit that when I started writing my post today I was definitely grumbling and when I got the “school is cancelled” text I felt like arguing with the superintendent, but now that I've had time to think things through and start my day, I now see that it was such a waste of my time and energy to be so negative. I am still able to accomplish most of my plans today despite a minor setback.

But what if God had cancelled my plans for today completely? What if He cancels your plans completely? I have had that happen to me recently, and let me tell you, I did not take it as well as I am taking this minor setback of a snow day. It took me a long time to get it through my head that my plans were cancelled and instead, God's plans were now in its place. But you know what, I'm still standing and I'm starting to see that it will be okay. God's plans are so much better than mine anyways!

I’ve seen and experienced it time and time again. Plans being made and plans being changed and even plans being cancelled by God. Jobs that didn’t work out, trips that didn’t get taken, places I haven’t gone, and many other things that I had planned that just fell through my fingers. Some I haven’t thought twice about but others were and still are upsetting. It takes time, prayer and patience on our part to follow the plans that God puts out for our lives instead of our own. It’s helpful, for me at least, to remember that when God told the disciples to follow Him, they immediately dropped what they were doing and followed Him. And when God told Jonah to go to Nineveh but he tried instead to go to Tarshish, things didn’t work out so great for him. We must remember that God’s plans are infinitely better than our own. He knows the full picture while we only see a few pixels at best.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says "15Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise. 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." I may not know this moment what God’s will is in changing my plans or canceling my plans all together, but I do know that He has a reason for everything. It may seem inconvenient to me at the time but I hope in the future to remember this little post of wisdom that God has blessed me with so that I can make the best of every opportunity. And I hope that someone can use this post as much as I can. Much like Moses in Psalms 90:12 I pray “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”