God has a great sense of humor. Occasionally, I write devotionals to go with our pastor’s sermons and two weeks ago, wrote the following devotion:
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. Psalms 37:23
I am a planner. Whether it is in my job, schedule or in travel, I am most comfortable knowing what is ahead. I always carry a to do list and when I am travelling, a guidebook and a map. I would not want to miss something interesting or a good place to eat or stay. My husband, however, prefers to live without an agenda. Especially when we travel. He doesn’t like having a plan and enjoys moments of surprise. Our differences made for some conflict in the early years of our marriage. One year, when our kids were small, he convinced me to leave our family vacation up to him. He told me only to make sure I packed a bathing suit and he would take care of the rest. Rather, he chose not to make preparations and instead, we loaded up the car with no particular destination in mind. It made me CRAZY! I complained and argued even as we pulled out of the driveway. My attitude affected our children who joined my demands to know where we were headed. Our youngest even started crying, “But, where will we sleep?” Finally, Glen drew close to our favorite place in the world, Rainbow River, in Dunnellon. We all calmed down and relaxed knowing what fun was in store. A few days later, we left the river, again not knowing where we were headed. By this time, the kids were sure Dad was the best travel agent and were no longer worried. I still wasn’t convinced and kept asking about our destination. We drove a few hours to the Ocala National Forest where we enjoyed swimming in some new springs, and then, finished our drive across the state ending up at the Atlantic Ocean where we rented a condo right on the beach. I had a revelation the next morning as I walked on the shore in the quiet cool salt air while my family slept in the beautiful place that Glen found without a reservation made months ahead. All that complaining I did was unnecessary. We were enjoying the perfect vacation and it happened without my help or intervention. Two decades later, our family still asks, “Remember that vacation when dad drove mom crazy because he wouldn’t tell her where we were going?” I wanted to be in charge but letting go made the journey so much better. Read Psalm 37 This Psalm was written by King David who knew all about being selfish and the consequences of going your own way. List the results David outlines of choosing your own path and the results of following God. How will David’s advice impact your own decisions today?
Ten days, husband came home and asked if I would be willing to go with him on a trip. His former employer had asked him to drive a car to a customer in Ohio or was it Michigan? He wasn’t really sure, but wouldn’t it be fun to go on a road trip. An unplanned, spontaneous road trip. The problem? We would leave in three days and he didn’t exactly know where we would be going. I immediately thought of all the reasons I couldn’t go, loss of vacation time, responsibilities at work and the fact that I didn’t want to go on an unplanned road trip. Especially one so far away. Husband argued it would be fun to get away together and I almost argued with him. Then, I remembered what I had written here. That is how I write this from a hotel room in mid-Ohio after driving for two days through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. I loved what I saw of Kentucky as we whizzed down the Interstate. Mostly all I have seen is the road signs on Interstate 75. Which ends in Michigan. Not far from where we will end up today. We still have six more hours on the road before we deliver this vehicle and pick up the one that is being traded in. I could be chaffing (literally) in my seat, but I am choosing to have the attitude that I am “along for the ride” and spend the time enjoying husband’s company. But, once we drop off this car today, the real fun will begin because we have no plans after that.
My husband is the exact opposite of you. Months ago, I told him we were going to take a family vacation to see other family in Wales. He said OK – the only thing he needed to take care of ahead of time was the passport. We did that, it arrived and I don't think he's even thought about the mechanics of how all this will come about. I bought the plane tickets, rented a car and got a hotel room for our first night. We are now less than a week away from leaving and he still hasn't asked any questions. I wish I had that same kind of faith that everything would work out just fine in the hands of someone else.