Monday Morning Memo: The Best Laid Plans...

This past week was not what I expected.  What I had planned…didn’t happen.  But what I hadn’t planned…did.

I shared with you last Tuesday in “Who is your ‘Who’?” that I took an unexpected tumble and was suffering the consequences.  Unfortunately that wasn’t the end of the story, because later that same day my husband was working in our garden and also hurt his back.  Let’s just say our home has resembled a nursing home ever since.

There would never be a good time for this to happen, but there might have been a more convenient time.  You see, we were supposed to leave on vacation on Saturday, but by Thursday evening it was obvious that neither of us were going to be able to sit in a car for any length of time.  We probably could have made the trip by stopping often to walk around, but we were afraid we would get to our destination and then not be able to do anything but lay in a horizontal position.

So we made the decision that it was best to delay our trip.  As disappointed as we were, we knew that we had to be realistic and consider the consequences of doing things we knew we shouldn’t do.  No trip would be worth it if we further damaged our health. 

As I was resting on one of the days, I came across this quote from Corrie Ten Boom, 

“When a train goes through a 

tunnel and it gets dark, you 

don’t throw away the ticket 

and jump off.  You sit still 

and trust the Engineer.”

This just confirmed what I already knew…Corrie Ten Boom was a very wise woman.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that I read this quote while I was resting from my fall.  Our unexpected detour was obviously not earth shattering, but it still put before us a choice to make.  We could pout and mope and throw a fit, or we could trust that this was in the Lord’s plan and rest in the fact that His timing is always perfect.

Why is it so hard sometimes to remember this?  Why is it that often times, when things don’t go our way in life…when darkness seems to surround us and our plans take on an unexpected detour, we are so quick to want to jump off the train?  We often seem to demonstrate that we have no staying power.  I think part of the problem is that we are such an instant society, where we expect everything to happen right now and we don’t want to experience anything that isn’t in our plan and on our time schedule!

I think it comes down to the fact that we don’t always trust our “Engineer”.  We think we know best and so when life deals us a raw deal and we don’t get our way, we immediately think our “Engineer” doesn’t know what He is doing.  So because we feel He must be inept, we decide to jump off the train…go our own way and handle things ourselves.  Unfortunately, we hate to sit still and so we think running is a better option.

As most of us know, this is not a wise decision to make but we see that much more clearly when things are going smoothly.  It’s when our journey takes an unexpected turn that we have the choice to either trust in God completely, or turn away from Him and handle things on our own.

The best laid plans of mice and men (and women!) often go awry.  What a true statement.  No matter how carefully we plan and make sure our ducks are in order…something often goes wrong.  The reason for this is in this statement…they are sometimes the plans of men not of God.   It is so important that we are sensitive to His leading and make sure our plans are His and not ours.  At times it’s just a matter of being flexible enough to change our plans when He presents before us a new agenda.

Last week’s events weren’t on my calendar and I’m wondering what unexpected tunnels I will be directed to go through this week. I’m praying that whatever comes across my path, I will put my full trust in the One who engineers my every step and can see the way even in my “tunnels”.  He has shown me over and over that His plans are much better than mine and there are times when my job is just to sit still and give Him my complete trust.  Will you join me in making the commitment to “stay on the train” this week and allow Him to direct our path?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:5

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Who is my "Who"?

I have been told over and over and over again, that it isn’t a good idea for me to fall.  But there are days that I just don’t listen.  Today was one of those days.

I hadn’t planned to take a trip to the ground…but it just happened.  And like all the other times, it occurred so quickly that I didn’t have time to really give it much thought.  One minute I was carrying some food into the house and the next minute I was sprawled out exactly where I didn’t want to be.

I have fallen enough in my life to know pretty quickly whether a fall is one that I will be able to brush off rather swiftly, or whether I will have to work through considerable pain in the days ahead.  Unfortunately, this fall fell under the “pain” evaluation.

You would think I would be used to this by now.  Because I have Hypermobility Syndrome and degenerative disc disease, it doesn’t take much to cause problems.  In fact my husband seems to think that sometimes breathing makes my back go out…and there are days I would agree with him!  But I’m not sure that having episodes like this ever gets easier…maybe just a little easier to accept.

I’ve had people ask me the big “why”…why does God allow this to happen to me.  Honestly…I have no idea but I don’t ask “why” anymore.  Oh I used to.  In the past I used to cry out to God asking Him why my body was “wired backwards”, as many doctors have told me.  But I don’t find myself doing that anymore.  I don’t feel the need to know “why”…I just need to know “Who”.

Who is it that is in control?  Who is it that knows everything about my body?  Who is it that has promised He will never leave my side?  Who is it that has perfect timing in everything that He does?  My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is my Who.  As long as I can remember who my “Who” is…I can have peace.  It doesn’t make the pain easier to endure…but it sure helps settle the “why” in my mind.

So I will behave doctor’s orders and slow down and remember that ice packs are now my friend once again.  Thankfully I also have natural products on hand that help restore health and wellness more quickly.  God has been so good to prepare me for times such as this.

There hasn’t been anything in my life that God has brought me to…that He didn’t see me through.  He’s never left me dangling yet…I don’t think He will start now!

Monday Morning Memo: Being a "Do-Bee" Part 2

I shared with you last Monday in “Being a ‘Do-Bee” Part 1 that when I was growing up, there was a program that I loved to watch.  The show was Romper Room, which was a children’s program that ran in the United States from 1953 – 1994.  I learned so much from the hostess as she interacted with Mr. Do-Bee and Mr. Don’t Bee, as they taught their viewers how to behave and how not to behave!

There was another segment of this show that I looked forward to watching.  At the end of each episode, the hostess would get her magic mirror and recite this saying, 

“Romper, bomper, stomper boo. 

Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. 

Magic Mirror, tell me today, 

have all my friends had fun at play?" 

and then she would call out names of children that she could supposedly see in their homes, through her magic mirror.  I can still remember sitting on the floor with my eyes glued to the television set, while my ears strained to hear if my name would be called.  She would say that she saw Susie and Chris and Jennifer and Tommy and Mary and Danny and I could go on and on with the names I heard listed.  Unfortunately, not once did I ever hear my name spoken.  Even though I loved watching this program, this magic mirror ending always left me feeling just a little sad, since she never “saw” me as one of her faithful followers.

In case you are wondering, I have gotten over this huge disappointment from my childhood, but it has made me think of a couple things as I have reflected on those years.  First of all, I wonder how many children and adults there are in our communities who feel invisible.  They watch others with their busy schedules day after day, and they just wait for someone to notice them.  They wait for someone to call out their name and confirm their existence.  They wait, sometimes hour after hour, for anyone to prove to them that they have worth and that they are loved.

I believe that there are many who feel this way.  Everyone has a desire to hear their name spoken by someone who truly cares and you and I just might be that person that can satisfy their need.  But we have to be willing to “see” them…truly see them for who they are and for their worth in Christ.  All of us were created in His image, but there are some who may never know that unless we are willing to share it with them.

The other point to this “magic mirror” that has been rattling around in my head this week has been…what if there really was a magic mirror?  What if each of us owned one and others could magically see how we behaved, not just on Sunday, but also Monday through Saturday.  Would any of us act any differently if we knew we were being watched?  Would we make the same choices…would we speak with the same words…would we go the same places?

I’m guessing for many of us, we might at least give a little more thought to our choices if we knew we were being watched.  Ironically, we are being watched every minute of every day…yet we don’t seem to always remember.  We can keep no secrets from God but yet we sometimes behave in such a way that we think He has blinders on and is oblivious to our actions.

Also, if we could see into others’ lives to know what goes on behind their closed doors, would we possibly be a little kinder…a little more understanding…a little more loving?  Rarely do we really know what others face on a daily basis and it is so easy for us to judge and condemn without really having a clue as to what they face day in and day out.

As I think about all this, I guess my thoughts on the “magic mirror” really go back to whether I’m truly willing to be a “Do-Bee” for God.  If I am, then I will take the time to notice those around me who need to hear me call their name.  I will make daily choices that please my Lord, whether anyone is watching or not.  Furthermore, I will be much more sensitive to how I respond to those with whom I come in contact, realizing that what they are facing may be more difficult than I can even imagine.

So for the second week in a row, I’m being convicted that I need to be willing to be a “Do-Bee” for God.  In the light of the day, or the darkness of the night, every moment of my life needs to bring Him honor and glory.  It may not always be easy, but the reward will come if He calls me home and tells me, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.  I’m so proud that you chose to be a ‘Do Bee’ for me.”

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do,

because you are his dear children. 

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.

He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us,

a pleasing aroma to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2