They may not be monumental, they may not be important, they are most probably mundane and not earth-shattering.
They are simple, like getting up early, walking, reading and praying, making breakfast, dressing, playing, watching, and seeing what the day might bring. Routine plans that lend a structure to my day.
Take today: I must have been anticipating the return to Eastern Standard Time tomorrow, because I woke up at 5am instead of my usual 6.
My walking route was much the same, but the quiet and the wildlife were different. True it was a Saturday and people were sleeping in, but the raccoons were walking down the street under the street lights. I had not seen them lately.
As I passed by a darkened house, I felt that someone was looking. As I looked up, there was a dark form sitting on the point of the roof. A new flag or something? Nope, it moved quietly then turned south and flew away with the sound of a heron. What in the world was he doing up there?
The only automobile out was the paper guy, and the sounds of crunching acorns in the roadway as he smashed them on his route. That and the slap of the Brunswick News hitting driveways as he delivered.
As I walked, I considered my plans for this day. I had an unexpected extra hour to work with.
Then I was reminded of a previous day this past week. It was a "normal" day, and, in the back of my mind, there were things I planned to do.
As I looked out on the back porch, watching the clouds turn color with the sunrise, between me and the light was a dark object. It was a new friend joining us from the outside. These creatures don't bother us, they may even keep the gnat population down, but my wife does not welcome them into our home.
Knowing that we often leave our doors open to the back porch this time of year, there is always the possibility that these guys may decide to come in for a spell.
So I got my glass jar and got him into it, for disposal out the front door of the condo and into the bushes below the first floor.
Either he was really fast, or we had more of these guys outside our porch, because after the first episode, I saw another one on the screen.
Before the day ended, I had captured and relocated 4 of them to the front door and out into that same bush.
These were not in my plans for the day, but once they began visiting us, my wife made sure my priorities were changed to make sure they did not sleep with us that night.
In a very short amount of time that morning, my plans for the day, whatever they might have been, were altered.
It was a reminder to hold all my plans loosely in my hand. In a split second they could all change.
I was also reminded of a verse that was on the wall of our church some years ago from Jeremiah 29:11
" For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. "
Who might our visitor be today?
Sometimes God may bring big changes to our plans, and sometimes He may just bring reminders to be ready.
And I could use my extra hour to think on these things…...
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