“And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.'” – Acts 1:7

My family got jokes.  Like for real.  I’ve raised kids with some serious, razor-sharp wit.  One of their favorite things to tease me about is my planning timeline.  Apparently my timeline, the one that’s usually only in my head and never actually verbalized out loud, is deeper and more detailed than anyone else’s ever.  “The OG” and “Backbone of the Operation” are my standard nicknames around here…

So here’s where I struggle.  My timeline not matching anyone else’s causes some serious strife both internally and externally.  I get frustrated when things don’t go as planned, even if I’ve told NO ONE about the plan and/or the plan still works out in the end.  But lately, when I’m frustrated about timing, I hear God’s voice whispering in my ear “trust me. I got this.”  And the kicker – I KNOW He’s got this, and I know He’s got me.  I know it with my entire being, I just need a strong reminder sometimes.

I think as moms, especially moms who work outside the home and sometimes far away from home, we train ourselves to be logistics managers.  It starts when your kids are young. This kid has this thing at this time, but this other kid also has this thing at the same time in another town.  Lots of moving parts. Then, when the kids grow up it becomes “who’s going to dog sit these bougie dogs” and “who’s available on standby if something happens to mom.”  Always a running dialogue in my head planning in my head for these contingencies.   

I know for a fact that God is in my head listening to this dialogue and, because I sometimes need a swift kick in the pants, He continually shows me that just because I think my plan is the best that that’s not always the case.  

Case in point.  I have three vacations planned in July.  A weekend at the lake with dear friends that’s become one of the highlights of my year.  A quick jaunt to our favorite Hill Country town just my husband and I, and a family trip to the river. So here I go again with the logistics – who can go when, who keeps the dogs, the list goes on and on.  Additionally, throw a pregnant daughter and daughter-in-law and an insanely cute but active toddler in the mix and the planning becomes exponentially more complicated.  But we did it!  Planned them all and everyone’s on board.

Then God showed up. He really looked at my plans and said “Nah, I don’t think so.”  Over the holiday weekend, 5 weeks early, our favorite little 4 lb 7 ounce firecracker Luke showed up.  Overall, mom and baby are doing just fine. Luke is little and needs some time in his “cage” (his big brother’s term) to develop his lungs and get his feeding right.  But he’s a fighter and has already gotten into NICU trouble from pulling ALL his cords off his tiny little body.  So he’s in “swaddle jail” for the time being. But because of his unexpected arrival everyone’s been thrown into a bit of a scramble.  Grandparents on both sides are taking turns taking care of big brother while mom and dad tend to Luke.  Schedules are adjusted daily according to what’s needed that day.  Vacations have been rescheduled and lake friends are on standby knowing that we may bail on the weekend at any moment.  We do what needs doing, when it needs to be done, because that’s what God wants us to do.   

And through it all, God is steadfast.  Luke, while tiny, is still a firecracker and is progressing well. Big brother Leo is having the time of his life shuffling between grandparent houses.  Random baby items appear on the kid’s porch almost every day, sent by great friends.  Vacations have been adjusted and logistics have been managed. The village has stepped up in all the big and small ways.

But God stepped up most of all.  He gave us the best early present we could ever have.  And He proved to me, once again, that He’s got this and life does not go according to my plan.  He knows the plan, and he executes it according to his perfect timing.  Always has, always will. 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11