Plan B...by Lucy

Toledo work group helping Mark to get some tiling done last week

Well, we woke up this morning planning to grout tile that we have finished. We still have some of Julie's family here this week to help out, so we were hoping to be moving some things from the old school to the new school tomorrow. But apparently, God had other plans for us today. Mark opened the bag of grout after we had swept the area clean, and it is the wrong kind! So on to Plan B...which is...keep tiling until we get the right stuff! But it did mean that I have a little time to blog now.

This kind of thing happens often here at Refuge Ranch. We wake up thinking that this is how our day is going to go, make our plans, then find out that won't work! Either we don't have what we need to complete the project, or someone gets sick or is going to be gone, or another project comes up that becomes the priority for that day...the list is endless.

Here is an example. Mark planned to do some construction work or car work one day, but then we found out that Rosa was going to be gone, Magda was in Mexico City,Victor and Julie had a meeting they needed to go to, and there wasn't much in the frig or in the cabinets to eat. I needed to be in the school so that left Mark to fix lunch. No problem. There are always plenty of eggs. He could do eggs and potatoes without much help. There is the second plan. Later I found out we had about 6 eggs. We were feeding about 20 people so Plan C was to make more potatoes! We added some cheese, a little bacon we found, and there was lunch! It worked out fine, but you get the picture. Plans are constantly changing here.

The Zaragozas have been gone on a family outing for a few days so Joanna was put in charge of the horse. That was great because she loves horses. The first day when she went to saddle the horse so she could ride it and give it some exercise, she set the bridle out to put on after the saddle. When she finished with the saddle, the bridle was gone (Maybe 7-8 minutes had passed). She looked around, and Alpha, the dog, had chewed it in two! On to Plan B...walk the horse. Not nearly so much fun as riding her, but it got the job done, and Joanna learned some lessons about Alpha and about improvising!

So today, we had a plan. Our plan changed. Who knows why? But we are learning to be flexible, and "go with the flow." Changing plans don't bother us nearly as much as it used to as long as we remember who is in control of the situation. Plans change, and it makes life more interesting. When God throws a curveball, we've learned to stop complaining that things didn't go as we planned, and question what else God has in store for us. What else is going to happen today that will show us more of His glory? What else is going to happen today that will allow us to share His love with someone else? Only God knows! And that is all we need to know!

Now I need to get back to helping Mark with the tiling that we can still do. As you go through your day, look for the ways God throws a kink in your plans, and where He is leading you with Plan B. Whose life can you touch today because your plans changed?

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21