Change Your Plans

(This was from Feb 2016)

Several weeks ago, I was shoveling snow and threw out my back.  I've hurt my back before, but this was different.  I scooped the snow, heard this little voice say, "Don't throw any more snow."  I lifted the shovel, and heard the voice again say, "Let your neighbor with the snowblower do your sidewalk."  Then I threw the full shovel out into the street and heard a pop.  I couldn't stand up, I couldn't bend over.  I couldn't move.   Somehow I dropped to my knees on the sidewalk holding the shovel and crying.  And I prayed, "God please let Stony wake up.  Please wake him up and let him look out the window."  Within a minute, Stony was outside in his boxers and snow boots, lifting me off the sidewalk.  I was so grateful (thank you, God for answering that prayer so quickly!!!) and so embarrassed at the same time.

By the time we got into the house, I was annoyed.  I couldn't move.  I literally had to lay on the floor and just lay there.  This was not my plan for the day!!  I was going to be a sweet wife and shovel for my husband.  I was going to go to work early so I could come home early.  It was Friday so I had all kinds of plans...and I literally couldn't do anything.  Stony said, "Why don't you just take today off and rest and enjoy being home with the boys."  I argued.  It didn't matter.  I couldn't do anything...so that is what I did; nothing.

I texted a lady I work with and told her I would not be in.  She caught onto my frustration and texted back, "Change your plans for the day..."  So that they include doing nothing except laying on the floor, being with the boys.  I was kind of annoyed, but thought she is right, I should just change my plans.  It was hard.  But I did it and it was great.  It got harder when I still could not move the next day or the next.  But Stony tried encouraging me that maybe God was trying to remind me to rest.  And JB's words kept playing in my head, "Change your plans..."

I've had several more totally out of control things happen (a cyst that put put me in bed for 3 more days and a water heater hose that broke and....)  Every time something happens that is out of my control, but is seriously going to affect my day, my plans and my mood, I hear JB.  "Change your plans..."

Not that I am in control all the time.  And not that I have to follow my plans...I need to be seeking God's will for my day.  But having a mindset, where my plans CAN change, has been huge.  It seriously makes such a difference.

Last example.  Yesterday, when the water hose broke, my plan was to do dishes and laundry and catch up from the weekend.  But you can't do that with no hot water.  So I changed my plans.  I ended up being able to work from home for 2 hours, enjoy Steven with undivided attention, and sit on the couch and enjoy cookies and coffee in silence.  My day was so wonderful!!!  And what made it even more wonderful was that I saw how differently my day could have gone had I not had that mindset to change. 

This could have been my day (ugh!):

  

But instead, this was my day (so much better!)