Two Sundays ago, was such a Sunday. There was a potluck after church that I needed to go early and set up for it; I also needed to bring food for the event when we left for church, plus I had some things people needed for upcoming events I needed to take with me, and I promised a friend I'd leave some things outside my front door for her.
Guess what?
I left the house and left the food on the counter. Thankfully my husband grabbed it and brought when we he came five minutes later. After setting up I realized I'd left those papers I needed at home. I ran home (thankfully its only five blocks from the church) to grab them. After getting back to church, I realized I hadn't set out the items for my friend.
At this point I was engaging in some negative self-talk and was beating myself up for making so many mistakes in my morning and forgetting so much. I drove home with my head hanging and pulled up to the house the same time my friend did. This is a women I've known and run into over the past 8 years but haven't spent a lot of time with in recent years, aside from Facebook encounters. We started talking and kept talking for 45 minutes. Life had happened and connection was needed for both of us in that moment.
I drove back to church and felt something. I felt like divine intervention had taken place. Had I been on my game and remembered to set out what she needed, I would not have been there when she arrived. She would have grabbed it and went on her way. That would have been fine, its not like our one talk was life altering or anything, but to me, it felt special. It felt like an unplanned gem in the day.
Here was my take away: Being wise with our time is important. While life is more than our to-do list, we do all have things that we need to get done - its just reality. But by merely living by the list we could miss out on the unplanned beauties in life.
I'm a Christian, and I believe God is always at work and is working for us in ways we don't even know about. Being included in something God is doing is magical, especially when you don't see it coming. I once felt God told me to say hi to a woman I passed by coming out of Costco. When I said hello, she started talking to me. She shared her journey with cancer, and I was able to hug her, pray with her and encourage her. My mind was blown and I was blessed by the interaction. How many people do we pass by each day with no knowledge of who they are and what they need? But God knows and if we are open to him, he will use us and trust me it can blow your mind!
Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Getting stuck in my head and trapped in my perfectly planned schedule means I miss out on the sweet spots in life. And when I don't get it right, instead of beating myself up, I must embrace the imperfection because I will find a blessing in the mix. This also applies to you. Love the life mud because it can be fun!
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