Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Throw it out the Door

I have learned a valuable lesson these past 3 weeks. Sometimes, you have to throw your plans out the door.

Let me explain...

I am a 5th grade teacher in northern Indiana. Many of you know that we have been puked on my Old Man Winter at random times recently. Being that I also coach basketball and the season has begun, I planned ahead. Over Thanksgiving Break, I planned out some things to get up to Christmas Break (to have goals and to keep my life a little less crazy during bball). I made sure to plan in 2 "weather days" just in case. Well, we have had 4 days cancelled and at least 2 or 3 delays. Needless to say, all the planning has kind of gone down the tubes. I spent a full day at school today - with no students- working on things. I was going to figure out my lesson plans for the remaining 3 days, but have decided to just keep the plan book blank. Oh, I have a few notes of things that MUST get done but I am not going to stress over it anymore. We will just go with the flow.

Now for the lesson I've learned. I'm sure I am not the only one guilty of this either. I tend to plan my life: the typical "5 or 10-year-plan" and it always gets messed up. I am so focused on where I want me to be and I lose sight of the plans that God has for me. He even tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Sometimes we have to just throw our plans out the door. Sometimes we have to just live in the moment that God has blessed us with. Sometimes we tend to focus so much on making plans that we miss the opportunities God has right in front of us.

Do you need to throw it out the door? Does God have something amazing right in front of you that is going unnoticed because of your agenda?