Not my plans?
I am an agenda person. I love my agenda. I have to have my agenda. Writing my plan for the next day is one of the last things I do before I drift off to dreamland.
If I don’t have a completed daily agenda, my day seems fractured and incomplete.
So last week, when my day did not go as planned, I contemplated going back to bed. But, instead, I chose to whine. It was at that point that I noticed I had missed something a day prior, when I returned from an out-of-town event.
I had not heard about the terrific winds that played havoc in our area.
When I arrived home, the weather had settled and I only learned about the unwelcome winds that gusted in my absence, so I looked outside – straight ahead.
When I happened to step out on our back deck the next morning, I realized that I perhaps should have looked left, too.
Our portable canvas and metal storage shed that had stood solid for four years, was now uprooted, upended and had obviously been lifted up in the air, over the fence and was now upside down in the neighbour’s yard.
The contents were scattered and strewn.
We hadn’t noticed and it seemed our lovely neighbours hadn’t seen it, either.
But I sure did this morning.
“God. Seriously? You know how much I have to do today.”
My agenda was full. I began to whine. Company was coming and the last thing I felt like doing that day was battling with the bulky, mangled metal and canvas monstrosity. I had to make meat pie and apple crisp. I needed to get my Dad up and I had deadlines. But I also had to get outside and figure out what to do.
The neighbours weren’t answering the door. My husband wasn’t answering his phone.
My moaning intensified.
“Why me, God? Why now, God?”
Do all things without grumbling or complaining. Philippians 2:14
That still small voice came a-whispering again: “Glynis, seriously?”
My mind drifted to James 1: 2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Then I remembered Texas and Florida, and Las Vegas and Somalia, lost children, exploited women, persecuted men … my silly mangled metal and scattered contents didn’t seem to matter anymore.
I left a text message for my hubby to call when he got a second. I got Dad up and ready to face the day. He was up in good time and we weren’t in a rush. The telephone rang. My husband would be home in a few hours. Just enough time to whip up a meat pie and apple crisp. Company would be coming soon. The kettle was on.
And my day continued. The meat pie and apple crisp were delicious.
We enjoyed our company. Hubby came home just in time to enjoy some dessert and then we headed outside and worked together to clean up and toss out. Dad had a nap.
I met a deadline and all was well with our corner of the world.
Tonight, I will write in my agenda again. I will copy some of the things I didn’t get done the day before. But I will also perhaps write, at the top of my to-do list, Proverbs 16:1 [NLT]: We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.
