Summer has been...chaotic. I much prefer the happenings on Phineas and Ferb to my personal summer adventures. I would rather build amazing roller coasters than ride on emotional ones, but that is rarely something we get to choose, is it?
I like to have a plan, and I really like things to go according to that plan. Thus far most of my life, including the best parts, have not really gone according to my plans. For example, when I was a young girl I planned to marry Mr. tall dark & handsome from some exotic faraway place, who was an incredible singer, and we would tour the world starring in Les Miserable together. (Hey, I was young!) That was my plan. Instead I fell head over heels in love with a handsome blonde fella from Malad, Idaho when he cut his hand and I took him to the hospital. He made me laugh til my face hurt, sings to me along with the car radio, and we are raising three amazing (and incredibly cute) kids in Rigby, Idaho. Not quite according to plan, but better than I ever could have imagined, let alone planned.
No, I never planned to spend this much time in hospitals and doctor's offices. I never planned to be sick & tired so much of the time, or for Travis to have brain surgery three weeks after our first child was born. I never planned for Taylor to have seizures, or for Alessandria to be bald, or for Chase to have a speech delay, for crummy insurance, or for all the stress and anxiety that come with all of those things.
Lucky for me, life is what happens while we are busy making other plans. We don't always know what will make us happiest, even if we think we have a great plan. I had never planned for the tremendous feeling of satisfaction that comes when you find out that you can do hard things. I didn't really plan on testing my ability to trust, to love, or to sacrifice. I didn't plan for how fabulous it is to hear, "Thanks Mom!" or "I love you!" I couldn't have planned for most of the wonderful things about my life because when I made my plan I didn't know a lot of it was possible. My plan was far from the best way to learn the lessons that will make me the person I am capable of being. I am very grateful that someone else with more wisdom & vision than I possess has made plans for me too. And thank heaven I am learning to do things according to His plan.
Yes, our family deals with a lot of crazy on a daily basis, but we're getting better at it. I wouldn't have planned to go through a lot of the hardships we have endured together, but I wouldn't want to change anything because these experiences have made us who we are and I love us! People often say, "I don't know how you do it!" But to be honest, neither do we. We trust that everything happens for a reason, and we do the best we can. I continue to be amazed how the Lord manages to bring incredible experiences, opportunities, & people into our lives with every trial that lift us up leaving us stronger, braver, and better than we were before. It renews my spirit and gives me hope.
After all, it's all according to plan.
