Whether it’s a lost opportunity or a suddenly open schedule, God is often working when we no longer have a plan…
“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.” – Wendell Berry, writer
“I’m bored.”
What mother hasn’t heard this complaint? Sometimes we stop what we’re doing to guide our child toward a task or toy that will keep them occupied. Other times we lift an eyebrow and say it’s the entertainment director’s day off, but there are some chores that need doing…
I used to be the first kind of mom. But after a while, whether because of time or temperament, I started leaning more toward letting my kids figure this out for themselves (though I still always hope they’ll choose the chores…).
I do this not because I want to be mean, but because I have seen time and again that when my kids are bored, they are also creative and inspired.
There is something about having nothing to do that leaves them open to possibilities. Open to grand schemes and big projects and fearless exploration.
They are open in a way that no planned activity, intentional pursuit, or cultivated interest can induce. It’s when they don’t know what to do that they do their best work.
We need freedom in order to be open to possibilities
We make plans and set schedules because it keeps our lives in order. But while that order is limiting chaos, it’s also limiting our opportunities.
How often have we decided we don’t have time for this or that? We aren’t open to trying something new because we’re busy, or it doesn’t fit with what we had planned for our day, or even our life.
But when things go off the rails – plans change, disaster strikes, things break – we find ourselves lost. Unsure. Confused.
A door we expected to go through has shut. But there is always a window, open and waiting.
And even if we didn’t plan it that way, God certainly did. And this was the path we were supposed to be on all along.
So the next time you see your plans and expectations turning to dust, don’t be frustrated. Stop and look for that open window. Nothing has ended, you have only detoured.
Have a blessed Monday!
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