Okay, so I'll admit it; I am a planner by nature. On any given day, my day timer is organized (and full, I might add) down to the last hour, my bi-weekly budget is outlined neatly in my pocket memo book, and a week's worth of pressed outfits hang in my closet. Say what you must, but efficiency is key.
Then there are those moments in life; moments that don't fit with any schedule, jive with any plan, or are otherwise totally unexpected. Today, for example, I didn't plan to oversleep, I didn't plan on spilling my soda on my pants fifteen minutes prior to class, nor did I plan on my professor rescheduling that exam I've been studying for (though, I must say, I was thankful for that change!), but all of the above occurred, with or without my blessing.
When I delved deeper into the grand scheme of things, I realized most major events in my life have been...wait for it...unplanned. Sure, I was an unexpected baby with unforseen birth defects that would later cause a multitude of problems, but the surprises didn't stop there. I didn't plan on going to college, I didn't plan on buying a home before I could have a glass of wine with dinner, and I certainly didn't plan on falling in love, living happy, or becoming an associate youth pastor, but clearly the joke's on me.
Three years ago, I cringed at the very thought of my well-devised life agenda going awry, and deviation was not a word in my vocabulary. Sure, it was a predictable way of life, but it never allowed me the opportunity to live. I never ventured outside my box.
I'm glad things are different now. Granted, post-it notes and a color-coded receipt system will continue to be a part of my everyday life, and I'll always have goals to work towards, but I rest in the fact that I can be content. Content with today, content with the unknowns of tomorrow, and content with where my future is headed. I know who is really in charge, and I'm confident in what He has planned :-)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
