Sometimes take a turn

I like to think of myself as a fairly organised person. When I make an appointment with someone, I arrive on time. Well if truth be told, I arrive early because I hate to keep others waiting. I make to do lists and I try to prioritise and make sure that I get everything done on my list. There are some days when I see what is on my agenda, I know what I have to do, and I work my way through it.

But the vocation of ministry is never quite that straight forward. Sometimes you receive phone calls when people ask you to come visit them and things need to be shifted. Sometimes a committee plans a surprise meeting. Things happen. Your schedule rarely goes to plan. You need to be flexible and adjust. You need to re-prioritise on the fly. 

I think the vocation of ministry is quite like life. You see we never quite know how each day will end up. There are always unexpected curves in everyone's life. A friend phones from out of the blue. You are offered your dream job, but it is hundreds of kilometres away. A loved one gets sick. You get fired. A downpour floods your basement. Your child makes excellent grades at school and the principal wants you to come in right away to talk about their future. There are those days when you get up and everything goes to plan. But they are indeed those rare days. Most days we can expect one unplanned event that will thwart our careful planning.

This is not a bad thing however. Scientists for instance, have tested stress on plants. The scientists had two sets of seeds. The first set of seeds was raised in the perfect environment. They were set in the richest of soils. They received just the right amount of light and the right amount of moisture each day. They were sheltered from the wind and protected from pests. The second set of seeds were not neglected by any means, but they were raised in less than ideal environments. They would go through times of drought and times of over abundance of moisture. They faced the occasional pest and times when they had a bit too much light or a bit too much shade. What the scientists found surprised them. The seeds raised in perfection did not perform nearly as well as the seeds that had just a wee bit of stress. A little bit of stress made the seeds hearty and strong. 

I do think it is best to be planned and organised. It just makes the world a bit easier to deal with. But no matter how organised we are, we need to be ready for those distractions that take us from our desired route. They make us strong. They make us hearty. They sometimes show us a new and exciting path. May many of your plans go well but hopefully you will enjoy life's detours as well.  Blessings.