I laugh at my last two entries. Not the light-hearted giggling “hee, hee, hee” of a little girl, but rather the evil “bwa, ha, ha, ha” of a deranged woman.
Dear Self from Last Year’s Blogposts,
I’ve got news for you sweetheart…stop trying to lay your own life plans!
Yeah, right. You’ll just move into the cabin on a lake and build your dream home. Ha! No problem. Sure, you’ll have a hard time closing doors and packing up boxes, but you are really pretty clueless. You won’t see those things you’ve boxed for practically a year. And, honey, you have NO IDEA what your life journey will look like the next ten months. Just relax, would ya’? There is plenty to see and hear and learn and NONE OF IT IS IN YOUR CONTROL!!
Let go. Sit still. Oh yeah, and if you refuse…there will be outside forces to take care of that for you.
Sincerely,
The Crazy-eyed Future Version of Yourself (jaded and sarcastic)
Back then…two whole posts ago…I thought things were simple. We would move to a new town, start a new hockey adventure and build a home…hilarious! Before I became hardened to reality, I figured one of the hardest things we would do would be to agree on the color of the kitchen backsplash.
God had other plans for us.
| Progression of My Plans | God’s Plans |
| Work for my husband during the summer and see him lots | Work for my husband, stress with him about a new business…see him 5 minutes a day |
| Move to the lake and start building a new house | Move to the lake and realize the lake has many building restrictions |
| Cheer for Big Sprout as he starts playing soccer again
Enjoy Middle Sprout as she blossoms into a young lady
Watch Little Sprout leave behind any anxieties she had in a bigger school |
Co-coach with hubby for the middle school soccer team just so all the kids could play
Be challenged by the nastiness of pre-teen hormones and attitude
Realize that innate anxieties move with you
|
| Enjoy the temporary nostalgia of no dishwasher and one bathroom for 5 of us | Extend time in close living quarters through one of the worst winters in 30 years |
| Enjoy the warmth and coziness of our cabin on the lake | Force close huddling because the furnace goes out |
| Establish independence in the new town | Force dependence when my car dies on the side of the highway in -15 weather |
| Ok fine…find a house in town and keep the cabin a cabin | You’ll find one, but it won’t be ready for you for a while |
| Well then should we plan to just make the cabin as big as we can? | You could, but it won’t be all you need |
| Well I’ll just make the most of it then: snowshoe, cross-country ski, lakeside yoga | Wait a second…you need to rest now. Sit still. You need to heal your ruptured Achille’s tendon anyway |
If I’ve determined anything in the last year it is that God wants creativity and imagination. He knows that it takes energy to create and imagine in chaos and with all we’ve faced this year we have been tapped dry. We could never have had enough energy to do what we’ve been asked to do. So yes, we relied on Him more. And He has come through.
Again and again, we’ve had what we needed. We are suited for this town and this town is suited for us. They accept our crazy. They may not understand it, but they do accept it. We know now what it is to live in difficult circumstances and we have an appreciation for the many blessings in our lives. We are surrounded by good people who are willing to help us…again, and again, and again.
I am no longer in the planning or predicting mentality. I am resigned to live in the moment.
In this moment, I am sitting on the couch with my driving leg propped on a pillow as the staples work to mend the surgically repaired tendon. The heatless sun is shining on the snow-covered lake and I have time to blog. Time I have not had for months and months. (you poor people!)
I make no predictions about my next post, or my next house. What I know is I have a place to sleep tonight and probably tomorrow. I have food to prepare in the fridge and children to parent this evening. What would be the point of planning out any further than that?
Copyright Choosing to Grow 2014 www.meaganfrank.com
Meagan Frank 
As I recall, you are the one who told your brother that “Life is what happens while you are making other plans”. I hope my memory is serving me correctly.
My advice is meant for those open to hearing it. What’s that you say? I can’t hear you? Maybe tomorrow I’ll be willing to listen. :))
Meagan, here’s what my sister, who lives in Greece, always tells me: “Man makes plans; God smiles.” Hope you’re beginning a successful healing process – it will get better every day. Remember all those frantic days/nights of running the kids, coaching, and taking care of everyone? And how you thought it would be so wonderful just to sit around and read a book? It’s here, and soon enough it will be just a memory. Take advantage of it while you can!
XOXO from the Voice of Experience from when I had my hip replacement surgery.
You and your sister are right! At least I am pain free and sleeping well. It is just the mobility that is challenging. I could use some warm weather to melt the treacherous ice and snow!