I make lots of plans and then get annoyed when they don’t work out. This week, several trivial plan changes showed me that I need to change my response when my plans fall apart.
Even though these were very small disappointments/changes, they can be good training for becoming habitually flexible. I’m slowly learning to be ready to accept God’s direction instead of fussing about having my own way. I learned that I don’t have to let little disappointments (dis)color my day or nudge me into negativity.

For instance, on Friday, we had planned to take dear Husband’s mother on her first outing since their March move to an assisted living facility in our area. We were so excited to take her to see our daughter’s home! But we needed to change plans at the last minute and reschedule for Monday. I felt let down – until I realized that I had double-booked myself, and this solved the problem!

The next day, Saturday, I got a last-minute notice that the teacher of the younger children’s Bible class had sick kids and couldn’t teach the next day. It was my turn to teach the older kids’ Bible class, and I had already made my teaching plan. The back-up teacher for the younger kids was sick, so I felt it best to combine the older and younger classes. But that required a new lesson plan to be made on Saturday evening. I was starting to take the hint that I needed to be less attached to my plans. After a momentary panic, I earnestly asked God to help me adjust the lesson so children from four years old to thirteen would engage and learn about Moses and the powerful God he obeyed.

On Monday, we were once again excited to take my 96-year-old mother-in-law to visit our daughter’s house. But when we went to pick her up, she begged off. We were once again let down. We were disappointed first of all because she was in a state mentally and physically that prevented her from leaving the assisted living facility. And secondly, that our daughter, who had prepared for this momentous visit, would be disappointed. My first reactions were alarm that Mom was failing fast, sadness for dear Husband, who is hurting as he watches her decline, and then my default, which is analyzing every situation to death. Why can’t she? What contributed to her decision? Should we attempt it sometime later, or give up on the idea?  We decided to visit our daughter even without her grandmother. It was a peaceful, loving visit with meaningful conversation, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Later Monday afternoon, I got word that our ladies’ Tuesday Bible study would have to be cancelled because of schedule conflicts for some of our ladies. It then became inescapable that God was trying to teach me something. Could it be that I hold my plans too closely? Do I need to work on being flexible?! Do I need to get better at accepting God’s direction instead of fussing about having my way? Hmmmm.

This is what I learned:
I learned I can be angry at the person or circumstances that wrecked my carefully crafted plan.
Or I can Let Go! I can release my plan, accept the change, and rest in the fact that God is in control and he has good plan.
I learned I can be offended because my plans weren’t their priority. Don’t they know I was planning on this?! (It’s easy to blame others.)
Or I can Pivot! I can pray for guidance. This plan didn’t work out, so what now, Lord? What’s your better plan?
I learned I can be discouraged- why make an effort to prepare when it often comes to naught?
Or I can Jump In! I can start Plan B not with a sigh, but with a cheerful heart, looking forward to unexpected blessings.
I learned that I can try to dissect why the plan fell apart ad nauseam: What were their motivations? (Not for one human to determine the heart of another human. We can see whether actions are right or wrong, but we can’t know what prompted the action.) What did I do wrong?(sometimes helpful, sometimes not)
Or I can Give Praise! I can be alert for happy, new blessings that result from the change. And thank God for each one.

I started thinking of Bible heroes who were examples of letting go of their plans, pivoting, jumping willingly into Plan B, and praising God for new blessings.
The first one that came to mind was Joseph. He let go of his favored son status, without bitterness, watched his life pivot when his brothers sold him into slavery, and jumped into being the best slave he could be. He recognized God’s blessing on him as he was put in charge of his master’s household. Then he had to once again let go of his privileged position when he was wrongly accused, pivot to being a prisoner, jump willingly into being the best prisoner he could, and then give God credit for promoting him to be in charge of the other prisoners. An influential man who was a fellow prisoner received helpful advice from Joseph and promised that when he was released, he would put in a good word for Joseph. But once again, Joseph had to relinquish his plan when the man failed to keep his promise. Yet he didn’t become bitter or quit doing his best. Read Genesis 39.

Then I thought of Paul, the apostle and church planter, who oversaw the establishment of churches in Asia and Europe. Often things didn’t go as planned. Yet Paul always let go of his plans and accepted what God ordained, pivoting quickly and jumping into what God sent, while giving him praise. He encountered the unplanned at every turn: shipwrecks, arrests, beatings, doors shut, co-workers not complying, and even betraying him. Yet no bitterness, no blame, just moving forward to the best of his ability. Read 1 Corinthians 16:12

I love how life-threatening detours like three shipwrecks and a stoning didn’t derail him, nor did daily ups and downs like lack of cooperation from a co-worker.   ^“Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.”  (note the positive spin- he’ll go when he can) 2 Corinthians 11:23-31

I know these wrecked plans of mine were insignificant. No one should be upset about such small annoyances. But I’m hoping that by practicing letting go, pivoting, jumping into Plan B, and praising God for unexpected blessings, I’m changing my attitude and will be able to cope with bigger disappointments as they come along. How about you? What is your reaction to wrecked plans?