Written In Pencil

Over this past month we have been learning once again that our plans are best written in pencil instead of in pen.

Approaching the month of May we did not have a clue as to where we might go once we completed the classroom journey of the Beeson year. We had a couple of conversations about jobs but the fit was not right. We, or someone else, kept looking and praying.

Last Saturday Anna and I took our morning run. We had much to discuss. We needed to make plans regarding her grandfather's memorial service. We needed to think through a trip we had been hoping to take to the west, and what June was going to look like. Furthermore we needed to make plans without having anything to do, or anyplace to be on July 1. 

Over the course of our run we talked out some details for the upcoming month and one-half. We decided it would be best to depart Wilmore on May 24th. We will join our material things here with those we left in a semi-trailer in Michigan. On the 27th of May we are going to depart for an out west trip. We will travel to Denver to meet up with The Cooper's. Then we are going to head to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We will start our trek eastward with a stop in Gillette, Wyoming with a visit to an Aunt & Uncle, and Cousin. Following that we will stop at Mt.Rushmore and then a wedding in Pennsylvania, followed by another wedding in Michigan. 

The whole plan sounds great, but we had to think through the "what if's?" Finally we settled on this, it all needs to be written in pencil. To use a phrase we learned on our trip to Asia,"we have to participate, not anticipate." Whatever we plan has to be flexible with what the Lord may be up to.

On Saturday Anna started packing boxes and I've been putting other things in motion for the transition. On Sunday I had a conversation that will take us to Missouri this weekend for an interview. We might say it is an opportunity that came out of the blue, but we would be more true in recognizing that the kind Father is leading us along as we journey in faith. 

This teaching from Jesus has real grit in our lives, Mt 6.25-34:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This has been a good adventure and we are glad it is carried out under the care of the Father.