A Mistake, A Flexibility and A Message

   Yesterday I had a schedule, two meetings at church, one at 7AM and the other at 3PM. That was to be my day.

   So I went to the early one and got home around 9:30 or so, did some stuff and ate lunch, preparing to go back at 3. This I did and showed up right on time, to an empty room. I knew it was the right day, so I found the church administrator who informed me that I was an hour early. The meeting was at 4.

   What to do? Fortunately I had my camera in the car and decided to go to a nearby pond and see if I could learn more about this new lens. I got this shot of a peeking turtle:

   Then I went to a spot behind the church and worked some more, looking eastward toward the marsh, like this: marsh grass reflected in a pool:

   I thought this morning that there must be a lesson in all of the above that I can apply to my life and maybe even write about. At this point there is a question: to just write, to go ahead with my routine of reading and praying and write from that time, or just to try to see in that Scripture something that will fit what I have already decided to blog. My plans or God's?

   My first thoughts this morning were questions: What was the meaning in yesterday's mess up? Was there something that I ought to learn? How did it all work out?

   Then I read Psalm 131, the first reading for today. It began:

"O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,"

   OK, don't try to do too much with those questions, unless God leads. Sometimes the questions are only answered in time.

  Then I read today's commentary in Jesus Calling, part of which states:

"When you project yourself into the future, rehearsing what you will do or say, you are seeking to be self-sufficient: to be adequate without My help. This is a subtle sin--so common that it slips by unnoticed. Train your mind to seek My help continually, even when you feel competent to handle something by yourself."

   I had a good thought in mind as I set down this morning, "don't hold on to your plans too tightly, but be flexible and take what comes". But that does not seem to be the thing that God wanted me to hear, however right that that thought may be.

   How about being self sufficient?

   How about being adequate for the task on my own?

   How about being quiet and listening for God's message ?

   How about letting go?

   My plans or His heart?