The Best Laid Plans...

(Extension of yesterday's Blessed Sunday...)

Things don't always work out according to plan. Actually, very few things work out according to plan. When I was 16, I swore I'd never get married. This July I will celebrate my 21st wedding anniversary with the boy I started dating just before I turned 17. Then we didn't really plan when we'd have kids. But after 7 years of marriage we decided we'd try it. Then again a year and a half later. And then one more time seven years later. I certainly didn't intend to have two middle schoolers and a pre schooler at this time in my life. But my plans are not God's plans.

When I started college, I called myself a business major. I took accounting and economics and business law. And kinda hated it. And was led, in spite of my immaturity and naivety, to education. I had wanted to be a teacher since I was in 1st grade. But after 13 years of school, I was a little burned out and decided that 4 more years of school just to be able to spend a whole bunch more years at school wasn't what I wanted. But after a year of business classes, I changed my major and started taking education classes. And kinda loved it.

One of the draws of being a teacher, besides, you know, the influencing of young lives and all, was summers off. Ahhh...glorious summers off. And I did have summers off...for a while. I was a teacher for three years before Josh was born. And I had those summers off. All. By. Myself. I read and watched movies and went to the beach and did, well, I don't actually remember what else I did. Then I took a couple years off with the babies. And when I went back to work, I was able to take summers off. I was lucky, really. Many teachers have to find summer jobs to make ends meet every year.

But three years ago, things changed. Our family's job situation changed dramatically and when the opportunity came up to begin a summer child care program at our school, I decided to do it. It was a blessing, even though it meant no extended summer vacation. I worked a few days a week and had a few off. Still better than full time, but not ideal. Then last summer we were asked to have our summer program again. So we did. But at the end of the summer, we said, "No way!" to doing it again. We wanted our summer off!

But things don't always go according to plan. And Dave Ramsey would not want me to not work this summer. So here I am, working another summer. This time is a little different. I will get a couple of two week mini-breaks and have a couple of part time weeks. And all in all it's a pretty good summer job. I get to sit in the shade and watch a bunch of kids play all day...with a little bit of learning thrown in, but don't tell them that. I even get to read a little between all the activity. I was thinking as I was driving into town this morning how much I wished that I didn't have to work. But then I realized what a blessing this job is. I'm my own boss. I get to play all day. I get to take my kids with me. I get to spend as much time outside as I want. And I get paid pretty well for it.

All in all, not such a bad gig. And it serves to remind me that God's plans are always, always bigger...and smarter...than mine.