I’m a planner. I enjoy sorting items, putting things together and planning. I want to be prepared and minimize any potential surprises. I do not like changes in the plan and will think of every possible scenario and a way to prevent it. (yeah I know…crazy)
This can be a good thing and it also can be meaningless and get a little out of hand.
I remember my schedule I had while living in America. I could tell you what I was going to be doing, where it would be located down to 15 minutes. Coffee dates needed to be scheduled days or a week in advance. It is so engrained in the culture. Every time I prepare to return to the States, my schedule starts to fill up weeks before I even arrived.
Moving to Thailand, the planner in me had to adjust. The Thais are very people oriented and not as task oriented. You will never hear the phrase “Time is money” in Thailand. Instead, they focus more on the people and going with the flow.
I learned to prepare certain things that I found commonly were needed. I would carry postcards to write with me everywhere, so if I found myself waiting for an hour (or 4) for a friend; it would be ok.
Since being in Thailand I realized I can only plan and prepare to a point. I learned to adjust to the small, everyday waves that came to our shore. These once were a big deal and were stressful small bursts, became much easier to handle. We were ready. We were prepared.
Yet there are times when big storms come through and everything you prepared for has changed. We can only prepare to a certain extent. God can come in at any point and change the entire trajectory of our life. God is the one who creates the blueprints of our life. We, being human, think we know and plan our own based on our limited knowledge. It is like we make super detailed plans in the sand and are surprised, hurt and sometimes devastated by the big waves that come in and wipe our plans away.
When my plans are wiped away, will I choose to trust in the blueprint Maker or scramble and try to recreate what I once had? Will I be patient as new plans are formed or will I rush into making my own again? It’s not easy, yet I am choosing to wait on the Lord for His direction and for His plans.
Anyone who’s been in this season, comment below with advice you have for those still waiting.
“Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34
