Change of Plans

"Chaaarge it!," said Betty Rubble and Wilma Flintstone with reckless abandon when they were shopping! Despite my own credit card skills, I do very little with reckless abandon, including shopping. Most of what I do is planned out until my stomach hurts from the stress of doing it just right. From my budget (a 12-page excel workbook with all the income allocated to each area by a percentage system and some super-fun formula cells) to the way I wash the laundry (sheets on Tuesday, towels on Wednesday, clothes on Saturday) to putting together a vacation, all tasks are approached with a plan. No matter how hard I try, however, nothing in my life is perfect...or even close. 

Sure, all my planning and doing photos on Instagram and Facebook are the smiley ones (or cats...or yarn...), and I know that many of my friends believe that I lead a charmed life...but really I am just getting by on many days. I plan, and when my plans (frequently) do not work out, I feel my feelings...and I eat my feelings...and they are not good feelings. 

I struggle with planning and making good choices and living with less than good choices, but that's life for all of us, right? Right. So I slap on a smile, even though I occasionally live on the edge of sadness, notsomuch to convince you that I am happy...but to convince ME that I am going to be ok. 

One of the tools that keeps me from jumping off a cliff when I have the sadz, besides not living close to any cliffs, is remembering three truths: 

1. No matter what is going on, God is still good.* 
2. No matter who else has let me down (or who I may be letting down), God keeps his promises.** 
3. No matter how disappointed I may be in any given situation, even when God is not doing what I want Him to do, God is doing what needs to be done. He has a plan.***

So, if God has a plan, plans are good, and I  keep planning. Well, God's plans are good, for sure. My plans may be good, but they are not His plans, so sometimes I have to back the heck up and change my plan. This is really hard for me, and it makes my face look not-smiley...I do not take or post pictures of my "why is this not working?" face. 

When I make that face, I try to stop and breathe and let myself feel it, then remind myself of the three truths that help me to go on. God is good, He keeps his promises and He has a plan. Praise God! Because In the "this is not working" places, I am uber-aware of the fact that I am not good, I break promises and my plans are often foiled. Then what?

My mom used to say, "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again." Good advice. Keep calm and carry on-ish advice. I am very thankful for good advice, and that God is working good things, even in my failure. So I will keep planning, my plans will keep failing and I will make adjustments. Life goes on, with or without me and my face. 

Thankfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:18) gets me through the rough stuff and helps me to slap on that smile. I am thankful for a place to live and sleep in comfort, for food in my belly (often more than I need) and clothes on my back. I am even thankful for a good parking space, when I happen to find one. Most of all, I am thankful that God provides a way for me, even when my plans fail. I am thankful to have his plans.

What are you thankful for? I know you can find something, if you look long and hard enough. So breathe, feel the feelings, then slap on a smile and come knit with me. You will likely find more things to be thankful for each time you look...keep looking.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by. I hope that you will Knit in Good Health and Thankfulness, today and always.

*God is still good. (1 John 1:5; Psalm 145:9)

**God keeps his promises. (Joshua 21:45; Hebrews 6:13-18)

***God has a plan. (Romans 8:28 & 12:2)