A few days ago my good friend was walking through a grocery store with his 5-year-old on his back. A little bending over to pick something off the shelf and pop.
He was in some discomfort for a few days. Then one morning the pain suddenly became excruciating.
As I write this, he’s getting surgery for a severely herniated disc.
Schedule Adjustments
Sometimes life gets crazy. Sometimes our well-crafted schedules have to be scrapped.
My friend’s plans for the next two weeks are totally changed. His family had to regroup quickly as they care for him, his wife, and his children.
I was happy to spend a few hours with him in the hospital, but that did, of course, require me to adjust my schedule.
Curveballs
Life happens.
Sometimes it’s as major as a visit to the emergency room. Other times, it’s as minor as a cell phone that’s out of batteries.
Sometimes it’s dealing with tragedy. Other times, it’s spontaneously celebrating victories.
Sometimes it’s having to handle something forced upon you. Other times, it’s choosing to be there for a friend when they need you.
You Aren’t God
The first step in handling these unexpected events is to understand that life happens.
We are not omniscient. We are not God. Of course human beings are going to be occasionally surprised.
Give yourself permission to chuck your daily plan out the window.
For most, the biggest stress that comes from unexpected events is the self-imposed pressure of not completing our plans. We hate to see our to-do lists get longer.
I’ll say it again: Give yourself permission to chuck your daily plan out the window.
Do Your Best
Then do the best you can.
You may have to stay up late. You may have to work at a furious pace. You may have to drop some lower priority tasks.
You may have to humble yourself and ask for help. You may have to spend a little money to outsource an activity you normally do yourself – even if that’s just getting takeout for a few nights.
I can’t give you a list of ten steps, because every situation will be unique.
But pray, trust God, do your best.
And give yourself permission to chuck your daily plan out the window.
Photo Credit: CaptMikey9 (Creative Commons)
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