This morning I planned to walk to downtown. I got about a mile from home and couldn’t remember if I had closed the garage door. Since my wife was sleeping at the time, I thought it was important that I go check the garage. The round-trip was two miles, but checking eased my mind. Now with walking all the way to downtown out of the question, I changed my route and kept closer to home.
It’s funny how often I have to change my plans. This change was rather inconsequential, but other changes are not. With the pandemic, we have all had to change plans frequently. We planned three trips to visit relatives in California, but canceled all three due to travel restrictions. Even those changes are small compared to what others have suffered. Some suffered severe illness and death that dramatically altered their immediate plans, and life, in general.
Let’s face it, we have no control over many of the factors that can impact our lives. James warns us; “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your ignorance. All such boasting is evil.”
Since we cannot control all the circumstances that may affect our plans, we must be careful not to boast in our plans. Instead, we should submit our plans to God’s will and be ready to change our plans. Anything else is foolish boasting. The pandemic should teach us that unexpected things can and will happen. Yet, nothing is unexpected to God who controls all circumstances and events.
Reluctant Retiree 