Who Sets Your Calendar ?

UNSCRIPTED

A day ago I was watching an interview with the respected basketball broadcaster Ernie Johnson. During the interview which was primarily focused on his book, Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary, he talked about how he thought he had his life all scripted out until he had to face various challenges including battling cancer, the adoption of his foreign born children, including his son Michael who has muscular dystrophy and host of other events which were not part of his life plan.  This provoked some soul searching on my part as I watched the segment. I too also would like to think I have everything scripted out and set on my calendar, but life seems to get in the way.

My phone is full of calendared dates for appointments and my work at school is always planned out for the month as each unit of history is detailed by lesson. These goals are good as they keep me

focused and allow me not to forget certain events. Teaching as life is also full of unscripted moments as well with student interruptions, assemblies, the realization that the lesson is disengaging students as students have the look of total boredom, and sometimes teacher illness. A good teacher takes these in stride and makes the necessary changes seamlessly to an outside observer. This is usually attributed to being experienced. Life's unexpected plans also build on these experiences which one can call faith and hope.

WHOSE PLANS ARE THEY

The Bible has many verses on making plans, but my favorite is from James 4:13 in which the writer instructs the reader "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”— you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.
Ernie Johnson's interview prompted me to review some of my plans that not have fallen on into the neat script I have composed. Dealing with recent health issues have put many of my normal physical activities on the shelf. How I react to the prognosis is not always ideal as I find myself angry at God whenever I see a cyclist pedaling down the bike path or down one of the major surface streets that crisscross the area I live in.  This reaction is similar when a child's is beset with an injury or there is an unexpected medical expense or vehicle repair. 

What about those unexpected gifts such as child receiving an unexpected scholarship, the announcement of an impending birth, my favorite sports teams winning the title, the volunteer plant that pops up in the garden and produces a prolific crop? These moments were unscripted as well and were not written on my calendar. God has a way with surprises. 

With my current medical condition there is lot of waiting to see if an epidural for pain will work for three months or up to one year. Plans for a long planned vacation have been cancelled. Needless to say there is a lot of uncertainty. Once again I go back to the title of 
Ernie Johnson's book. His perspective on those challenging

moments provides a balanced insight and one that I endeavor to embrace more frequently.I would like to believe that I can retire from my current profession in three years to move onto other pursuits. But that is not for me to determine. Planning for the future is considered prudent. However, it is very presumptuous to assume to that I have it all figured out. 

I have many friends as well as family members that have faced what seemed to be insurmountable life challenges with cancer, job loss, sick parents, and other unscripted life challenges.  The common theme that gets them through is faith. Plans are good as long as there is a healthy perspective that human plans do not trump God's plans for each of us.

THE ARCHITECT AND THE DOG

Even those that draw up plans for a living know that having a solid foundation is key for the success for any building. Likewise adaptations are made when a part of the plans may compromise the structure or if the client wants changes. I cannot even pretend to know what God's plans are for me other than they are for the good. He is the architect and provides me with a solid foundation of faith and hope. He allows for me to veer off the road and pencil in my agenda. As I write this it reminds me of taking my dog for a walk every afternoon. He usually comes to me at a certain time. I could pencil this in on my calendar. However once we set off on the walk he will suddenly stop to sniff the path. These stops don't always occur in the same place as he will sit down forcing me to stop my quick pace. Much like God he is telling me to slow down as there are other plans.

I think Thomas Merton sums up it quite well with the prayer of trust when he would pray,
"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”4