Not My Plan
Today did not go according to my plan.
I should have known something was up when my dog woke me up at 2:30 am to potty. I had a meeting at 8:00 am with one of my kids’ principals. (I know, school hasn’t even started, but this has, right?!) My youngest had to be with me, and my oldest needed to be at band camp at 8:00 (story of parenting – kids all need to be in different places at the same time). I also had to pick-up my groceries at Wal-Mart at 10:00. (If you’re not using grocery pick-up, you probably can’t relate to my blog posts at all …)
Now, the old me wouldn’t have realized the “over-booking” until around 7:15 this morning. The new me (the one that’s been married to a type-A, I-put-my-keys-in-the-same-place-everyday-so-I-never-lose-them-thus-I-can’t-relate-to-any-of your-crises’ man for 23 years) actually made arrangements ahead of time (said spouse agreed to take him to camp).
That was the plan. Not a lot of “margin” (my hubs’ favorite word – another blog post), but it was a workable plan.
What ACTUALLY happened was this:
My handsome hubby who has been coughing up lungs for days and hasn’t slept in a week wakes me up at 6:45 and says, “I need you to take Silas to band camp. I’m going to the doctor at 7:15.” After a few moments of inward panic, I regroup (us type-B people are freaking awesome at regrouping … we get a lot of practice) and head downstairs to move my plan up 30 minutes. Downstairs, however, I run into a large colony of ants who’ve decided my kitchen floor is YUMMO! (I’m sure it is – I’ve seen what my kids drop there … by the hour.) I begin frantically spraying my peppermint oil around the room, pausing only when I hear my hubs say, “Do you smell dog poop?”
Yep, there on the laundry room floor I find the gift of doggie diarrhea which my (clearly sick) pooch has left for me in large volume next to his crate. So, to the sound of my now-glad-he’s-sick-and-leaving-hubs saying, “Bye, gotta run!” I begin the cleanup process (and strategic planning for my two sleeping 12 year olds to put the dog on the porch and take him out every hour while I’m gone).
Yes, today did not go according to my plan.
But, oh, the many days I’ve said that. In fact, it would be easier to count the days I HAVEN’T said that! I actually can’t think of a day where I have lain down at night and said, “That’s a wrap! All went according to the agenda!”
How do we handle the unexpected life events that creep in (or boldly appear) and threaten to rob us of our sanity joy and peace? (I’m leaving out the obvious preliminary step of having margin in our day for the unexpected. That’s a topic for another post, one I am not at all qualified to write yet – just ask my hubs.) Here are my thoughts:
- Practice laughter. Seriously. The times my hubs and I spend laughing hysterically about the craziness that our lives create are some of the most therapeutic times of my week! Laughter has proven physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits. Some interruptions are more serious, like news from a doctor, the loss of a job, or the behavior of a child; they can throw us for a big loop. That’s why I use the word “practice.” We find the courage to consider it joy, if for no other reason than God has allowed it, so it must have a purpose. If possible, muster up the humor to say out loud, “Wow, God, I know your plans are creative, but who’d have thought cleaning this dog poop in record time would be part of them!”
- Pray for patience. This one is a little harder for me. My kids tend to “freak out” over not-so-serious things (I have NO idea where they get it from). My heroic friend, Hannah (over at RaisinAmazin.com), has a great tool for this, simply put into a question: Is this a BIG deal or a LITTLE deal? If it’s a big deal, I pray, call in back up (a.k.a. text my husband or a friend for help,) and go from there. Often my “crises’” are “littledeals” that can be handled with a few deep breaths (and maybe some nose clips).
- Promote creativity. My friend, Gaile, introduced me to a GREAT word (words?) – “solution-focused.” My mind tends to get bogged down in the panic, frustration, and temporary paralysis of the moment. But it’s more productive to focus on workable solutions, however temporary, to help me move forward. Elisabeth Elliot once said, “Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.” Sometimes the plant just needs a little weeding or watering, not a total replanting!
While by no means a pro, I’m working toward the day I can lie in bed and say, “Today did not go according to plan. Never a dull moment with you, Jesus! Your agenda was much more interesting than mine!”
What do YOU do to handle life’s interruptions and daily crises? I’d love to hear from you!
