Along a Winding Path

"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."  -Allen Saunders

I spent this week working with a dear friend I would never have met, for a good company I never would have worked for, doing something I would never have thought of doing had my career followed my plans.

My plans were interior design, and lots of it.  There's nothing like a quiet warehouse, painting walls and setting up a trade show booth while the kids are hanging out with the grands to allow a person a chance to think and look back.

Thinking about it, life feels a bit like a path.  We have an idea of where we want to go, but have no idea the bumps, dips and detours we may find along the way.  A lot has gone according to plan, but there are a few things that haven't quite, kind of like stepping in the unexpectedly deep puddle!  Allow a person some quiet time, and the mind really wanders.

Proverbs 16:9 has been on my mind lately, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (esv)".  In my younger days, I would have felt rankled by this verse, though now, it gives me comfort.  I now realize, just through life in general, that God really does know better than me and that he has our good in mind.  I think that even though some things that I have deeply desired and hoped for have not come to fruition, maybe my life has been sweeter for it.

I've seen many times how God's "no" to some things and detours around others have actually been his hand of protection and not a withholding of blessing.  It has been for my best interest, my family's best interest.  It's hard to see when you are walking through it, but much easier when you can stop a minute and look back.  Of course, many prayers have been answered with a yes, but it's the no's that really make us think...

Younger years dating matches that didn't work out, and then, the one that did.  And still is, 22 years running!

The office closure of an interior design job in my twenties, pushing me out of my comfort zone and into marketing, meeting a number of great friends, stretching my art muscles and opening doors I never thought to knock on (15 years running!). Hence this week!  (And the catalog shoot I got to style earlier in the spring! Talk about FUN!)

Selling the budget swallowing, money pit of a dream home which allowed for less stress, strain, and constant maintenance, gave us breathing room in many ways and allowed us to put away the hammer and saw.

Opening and closing another office location (husband's shop) ultimately showing us we didn't want to move, we didn't need another location, and that God still provides even though sometimes we tune him out and do what we want to do.

Losing my mom unexpectedly, which was all sorts of hard, but it did lead to a closer relationship with my dad and a deeper understanding (ie crash course) of what really isn't important and what is.

The complete feeling of "halt and desist" of building a house on family land later allowing us to buy  a house tucked away in the needed quiet, with plenty of space, privacy, and room to roam and relax.

If you find yourself feeling a little off the beaten path, not really sure how you got there or how to get back, keep these things in mind.  They've certainly helped me.

1.  Trust that God has this.  Proverbs 16:9 "...the Lord establishes his steps." We may make the decisions and mistakes, but they come as no surprise to God.  He knows where you are going, and maybe he's pointed you that way for lessons that will change your character.  I deeply believe any purpose he has for us will be fulfilled, we won't mess it up.

2.  Reflect.  Take a minute to look back sometimes.  Think of the good that has come out of the bad or hard, and the wisdom and friendships you have gained in the process.

3.  Relax and take a deep breath.  You may not feel you are where you are supposed to be at this point in life, but it's not a race.  And the people you feel may be watching you?  More than likely, they are worried about their own position, knee deep in the weeds.

And lastly, when you find yourself fretting, say this verse out loud...

"And we know that for those that love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28