I must admit, that my understanding of the intricacies of the universe are laughable. It may be borderline arrogance to even infer I know how my life needs to play out.

I was on a work trip that my family got to come along on. My plan was to work when I was needed and hang out with the family on a mini vacation when I wasn’t. Multitasking!

The first day was going exactly according to plan, morning work responsibilities, lunch with the family, afternoon work thing, then back to the hotel for some POOL TIME!!! Meanwhile, our newest bundle of hot nonsense (two month old infant Tillean) had come down with a bit of a cough and illness that had begun to worry my wife, which is not easy to do.

Eventually, my two older daughters and I made it to the pool only to be met by my wife and Tillean a few minutes later. She informed me her desire to take her to the ER.

*BOOM* Plans out the window.

Long story short, my wife and infant stayed the night in the hospital and we had tough conversations about, life, finances, health care and WTF. I wasn’t pretty the whole time and it wasn’t easy to navigate.

Thank God, Tillean made a full recovery. I even was able to make it to all my work responsibilities.

The point is, my plans were nothing more than my desire to stay within my comfort zone. To do things in the way I could expect a certain range of outcome. You know, take it easy.

The plans I had had no space for tough conversations that bolstered my ability to communicate with my wife, no time for a perspective shaping look at mortality (if only for a moment) and not even a few moments carved out for unfiltered anger, worry, wonder, trust and faith practice.

Things don’t go the way I plan. Thank God, because when I pay attention, God’s plan is far more rewarding, magical and makes way more sense.