Preparing to be prepared so that you can be ready to not do what you thought you would be doing!

No, I’m not playing word games this morning but rather I’m thinking about the fill in the blank nature of our life filled up with all of its hits and misses on this cool, crisp Monday, March 2, 2009. If all goes according to plan our dear Brother Milton is supposed to be discharged tomorrow and will relocate to our home until later in the week when he will fly back to his home in Florida. One thing we have learned throughout this health saga is to never expect that things will go exactly according to plan. We will do our best to have our home ready for Bro. Milton but we also will not be let down if we have to adjust our expectations. I thought about this as being a great example of how things unfold in life. We set our schedules, make our plans, and often we go bananas when things don’t fall into place. Why? Basically we are wound way too tight and have little give and take built into our ideas of how things should go.

I must confess that I do not handle this area as well as I could or should. I do get stressed out when plans, schedules, and the connections all go awry. Often the actual event or outcome is not that big of a deal but that doesn’t keep me from getting overheated and fretful about stuff that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. So, what if you run a little late because of something you have no control over? Or, better yet, what if you run a little late because of something you do have control over? Now I’ve begun to meddle with the part that’s up close and personal in my life. I don’t like being late ever for any reason. I don’t like for other people to be late when I am involved, ever, for any reason. Whew! Now I know why I need the blood pressure medicine!

Hey, we all could do a better job of taking a deep breath when things don't go according to our plan. We also could use a little more of a 'big picture' focus that includes not only the here and now but also time and eternity. I’m sure my hang up with being late has some root in a fear or phobia since there are literally hundreds that have been established and categorized. I do know that being flexible with yourself and others is part of what it takes to love others as God would have us to. The other thing is to remember that while we all would like to think we are the center of the universe and everything should revolve around us and our schedules, that’s not even close to reality, therefore, we just need to back off, cool down, and take some time to smell the roses. Speaking of which, I wonder why that fellow who was supposed to get back to me has not called. He had better have a good excuse! Oh well, I still need some work but with God’s help I will try to do better! Have a blessed day! Amen. …..More later.