Thirty Days of Thanks: Day 13~Rescue Mission

Listen carefully, those of you who make your plans and say, “We are traveling to this city in the next few days. We’ll stay there for one year while our business explodes and revenue is up.” The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another. It would be best to say, “If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, we hope to do this project or pursue that dream.” But your current speech indicates an arrogance that does not acknowledge the One who controls the universe, and this kind of big talking is the epitome of evil. So if you know the right way to live and ignore it, it is sin—plain and simple.

~James 4:13-17 (The Voice)

But your current speech indicates an arrogance that does not acknowledge the One who controls the universe, and this kind of big talking is the epitome of evil.

OUCH!

I’m a girl who loves to make plans. I’ve been writing “to do” lists as far back as I can remember. Before my planner became digital, I hauled around a five pound Franklin Covey that I affectionately called The Brain. With a big family there’s definitely a lot of planning and coordination to do, but I can make planning an art.

I once heard how personalities can be described by the phrase “Ready, Aim, Fire.”

For example, you have people like my husband . . “Fire, fire, fire . . ready? Who needs to get ready? Just DO it!”

And then there are people like me . . “Ready, aim, ready, aim . . hold on! Can’t you see I’m getting ready?!”

Yes, I love to make plans. I think it’s my subtle attempt at controlling the managed chaos that is my life. Plans give me a sense of security.

And therein lies the problem. When my plans become my security, they rival my God. Yeah, the One who controls the universe. And, as noted above, this is kinda bad, as in epitome of evil bad.

I’ll say it again . . ouch.

Early this week I had some plans. It was Monday, the great day of all planning. I tend to hold my plans pretty tight on Monday. It’s my way of not drowning in all the days that loom ahead. On Monday, WE MUST STAY ON SCHEDULE OR THE SUN AND MOON WILL FALL FROM THE SKY AS THE WEEK’S PLANS GO AWRY!

Jeff works late on Mondays and doesn’t usually leave the house till around 2. This makes Mondays more challenging. Remember, Jeff’s personality is best described as “Fire, fire, fire . . we’re having a party . . let’s fire, fire, fire!”

It kinda messes up my aim. Especially on Mondays.

So this Monday my “firing” husband decided to take a bike ride with our 17 year old son Ben. I secretly sighed some relief knowing my efforts to take “aim” might improve with my “firing” husband out of the house.

They’d been gone awhile when it was time for Sam and I to leave for his violin lesson. As we drove down off the mountain, I kept my eyes open expecting to see them heading home. Nope.

I was getting gas a few miles down the road when my cell phone rang.

“We need you to come pick us up. We’ve been riding for over two hours and every turn we take just keeps getting us farther from home. My GPS says we’re twenty miles away now.”

The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow.

Life had taken Jeff and Ben somewhere off course, and it was requiring me to readjust my day as well.

I called and cancelled Sam’s lesson, plotted the rescue mission with the location Jeff texted me, and tossed my Monday plans out the window as we drove down the highway.

We live way up in the corner of Virginia about a mile from West Virginia and the Allegheny Mountains. The Allegheny Mountains extend for about 200 miles across the state of West Virginia into Ohio. And that’s where Jeff and Ben had “fired” off too.

I drove up and down the mountains wondering how they even made it up one of these much less ride almost 20 miles through them.

And then, there they were. Still smiling, safe, and wiped out. I was proud of them and happy that they were together enjoying a challenge and one another. Although their plans hadn’t turned out they way they thought they would, they had shared an adventure and would have a great story to tell!

God says He knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future.

My white-knuckled grip on my plans loosened a little, as I gave thanks for my husband and son, their time together, and their safety. We headed home, and I rescheduled Sam’s violin lesson.

The sun and moon kept shining, and my week is going fine.

Just like He planned.

Thankful for . . .

~ boys sleeping in a little late

~ wise words from good friends

~ generous hearts

~ women who love God, each other, and community enough to preserve them with gracious words

~ good food (that I didn’t cook)

~ Marley the Rat and all the fun Sam is having with him

I’m giving away a copy of One Thousand Gifts!

The giveaway will be open through Sunday at midnight, and I will announce the winner on Monday. Enter below!

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I’m celebrating Thirty Days of Thanks by posting my list of thanks here daily for 30 days. You can join me every day or any day by posting your thanks in the comments, posting at Winsome Woman on Facebook, and/or posting on your own FB wall!

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever!”

~Psalm 107:1

2 Comments

Kelly on November 13, 2013 at 10:53 pm

Amen to "thankful for good food that I didn't cook!" Our church is blessing us with meals right now and they are huge blessing. So a second reason for thanks is the family of believers in the body of Christ.
Dolly@Soulstops on November 13, 2013 at 11:00 pm

Kim,
I enjoyed your story and I am so happy your hubby and son were fine….what a very long bike ride…I am impressed…and I can relate to the planning and learning to surrender my plans 🙂

Thirty Days of Thanks: Day 13~Rescue Mission

2 Comments

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