When Plans Change

Needless to say, us Portlanders have all had a few change of plans recently.  Our church was cancelled last week due to crazy amounts of snow.  All week we adjusted, cancelled, switched things around.  Saturday instead of a lazy day relaxing at home we were in the ER all morning with our poor burn-victim son, then changing guaze pads and wrapping Dutch’s little blistered arm.  Sunday we miraculously made it to church, after Jeff spent an entire HOUR de-icing the car.  It literally had an inch thick of solid ice encasing the entire thing–I’ve never seen anything like it.  Realizing that that wasn’t going to be fun every morning, and since our garage is too short for our car, Jeff got creative and moved everything around and managed to park diagonally in our garage! He has to crawl in through the passenger door in order to get to the driver’s seat, but at least there’s no more de-icing! 

Needless to say the huge 2nd birthday party for Dutch was widdled down to just my parents and Jeff’s dad and step-mom and step-grandma who flew up last week from California.  And the snow was coming down so hard and they were so afraid of getting stuck that we moved up the time, skipped Dutch’s nap, then raced through dinner, cake, and presents in record speed. 

Today Jeff braved the 20 inches of snow and went to work, only to work a few hours and then take other staff members home who had no other way!  Tonight we had to go buy new guaze and wrapping materials for Dutch’s arm, which took 1.5 hours since most pharmacies were closed.  Jeff’s dad and step-mom and step-grandma were supposed to fly back to California this morning, but are now stuck, as PDX is closed, and can’t fly out until the 27th!  They’re pretty bummed, stuck in their hotel room for an extra five days, missing their own holiday plans with their own family.  My brother and his wife and daughter, scheduled to arrive today from Utah, now are told their flight won’t be rescheduled until the 27th as well…and I was counting down the hours until I’d get to see them.   Jeff’s mom and step-dad, who had wanted to be here as well, are stuck in Bend until the weather clears.  Basically, we have family desperately trying to come see us and family desperately trying to leave us! 🙂  Our holidays plans are all on hold; church services are TBA.  We’re still planning to meet Christmas Eve…but we use the word “plan” pretty loosely these days. 

This morning I read through the book of James.   Chapter 4:13-14 stood out to me.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” — yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Now I dare say it’s not sin to make holiday plans…and this is by far the worst snow storm we’ve had in my lifetime; so it’s no wonder we’re all caught unawares.  But it just reminded me that I need to continue to hold every “tomorrow” with an open hand.  I was actually doing great all weekend, rolling with the punches of the ER, the weather, the birthday changes. I always think it’s kind of fun when crazy weather hits–it feels like a huge adventure.  Besides, we have power, warm water, and plenty of food–no complaints!  But today I started to get bummed as I thought about our holidays plans evaporating the way I wish our snow would!  My heart was set on our whole family coming to WCC’s special Christmas Eve service.  I wanted so badly for them to see “our world”.  For the first time, Jeff and I were getting to host Christmas Eve, and I had everything planned and ready. Our tree is beautiful. The house is decorated.  I’m stocked up on cider and a freezer full of Christmas cookies. I’ve been aching to see my brother and his family so bad.  So I admit, today I finally felt deflated.  Deflated because plans change.

Pastor Joel talked about this very thing yesterday at church. I actually didn’t get to hear the sermon because there were so few people there at church that there was no childcare, and Dutch was the only nursery-age kid there, so Jeff and I took turns sitting out with him and reading books. He held him during worship so I could play the djembe (he kept calling “mama” and wanting to run on stage), and I took him during the sermon.  But just hearing Jeff’s summary of the message ministered to my heart. 

Pastor Joel talked about how Joseph and Mary, a  young couple engaged to be married, probably just wanted a normal life. They were probably excited for their wedding, making plans, looking forward to their life together, perhaps children, establishing their life.  And Gabriel changed everything.  A simple change of plans.  Plans changed because God wanted to do more than give them a simple happy life. He wanted to save the world through them.  God ruined their plans to save the world.  O how grateful we are that God changed their plans!!!   O how grateful I am that Mary and Joseph didn’t just get to get married and lead a normal life.  O how eternally grateful. 

And so it reminds me today that “tomorrow” is never certain, and that God might want to change our plans to save the world.  Ok perhaps Messiah might not be coming in this snowstorm, but God might be doing something far greater than my fun holiday plans.  And I’m reminded to pay attention, because God might just be at work when plans change.