People plan. God laughs. So the old adage goes.

Recently I’ve thought about planning. As I have shared before, I am a planner. I have my to-do lists and I like nothing better than to tick the box that I have completed a task. This past winter, we have been orchestrating some home improvement projects on our Cape home. A couple of weeks ago we had scheduled the final arrangements for the projects to be completed. I was to go up to oversee and I had asked my brother to accompany me.

At the same time, I was having a tough time getting my second Covid vaccine appointment. As luck would have it, when I received my first dose, the second dose needed to be scheduled when I was out of town at the Cape. I had seven different workman coming at various times to complete the Cape projects. Some of whom had already been rescheduled due to changes in their schedules. It would be too difficult to change all of them again. Unfortunately, at the mass vaccine site where I had received my first dose, there were no scheduling alternatives other than the one date given.

I could never get hold of anyone for re-scheduling the vaccine. As my four-week window for the vaccination was approaching I was getting a little panicky. Meanwhile, I had travelled south to pick up my brother for our trip. We were to spend the night back at our house and then head up north the next day. During the ride back to our house from his, our car decided to inform us (with the new computer systems it is quite like the head strong computer from A Space Odyssey) that our brakes needed to be checked.

Oh bother, I thought. Just what we need. This is going to back up our schedule. We had to delay our trip so that our accommodating mechanics could squeeze us in and fix the brakes. Being at home on the day that we originally planned to travel, allowed me to look online and see if I could possibly schedule a vaccine dose at the Cape.

Sure enough, I was able to get one. Turns out it was exactly on the date that I would’ve had originally through the mass vaccine center. Exactly four-weeks. When I got the appointment, I started smiling knowing that God had this planned all along. I just needed to trust Him.

If we had not had the brake warning light, I would’ve been in the car and unable to schedule any online appointments. And, if I had received my vaccine after getting home, I would’ve been out of commission for a day or so because I did have a pretty strong reaction to the second vaccine. At the Cape, I had the time to rest and sleep because thankfully, no workman were scheduled on the day following my injection. Perfect timing.

In addition, originally we were to travel home on a specific day so that, on the off-chance, if I did receive notice for scheduling a second vaccine we would be home. Because I already received my second dose while at the Cape, I did not have to be home on any specific day. Two of our workman appointments had to be rescheduled again, for the date that we would’ve been traveling south. When I realized I already had the vaccine and wasn’t pressed for time, I was able to get all the workman rescheduled and so I was able to “tick the boxes” of the items we needed to complete.

Whew. A lot of coordinating but it worked out.

It makes me think of the things about which we are bothered. For me, it is the change in a plan or schedule that sets things off. Many things are like dominoes- this needs to happen before this, and this, etc. When one of the items changes and then another item has to change, I can start to feel panicky and anxious. Or if one of the items doesn’t happen, then everything goes awry.

Or does it?

Looking back, there are many times that because of delays or changes, something better occurs. My two travel delays because of the car, Covid vaccine and workman, all worked out. I have a dear friend who used to say that when she was planning on a project, if it changed or something didn’t work out, many times that unexpected was better than what was originally thought or planned.

Every time I have a change in schedule I have to remind myself of that: the unexpected may be better than the original plan. One would think that I would’ve learned this lesson already. There are countless times when the plan doesn’t happen as originally scheduled. And, you would think that I would have definitely learned this lesson during this Covid time: things change often and sometimes rapidly. Yet, I am continually learning to take a deep breath, let things happen and realize that what will occur might possibly be even better than expected.

What about you? Any experience or stories of delays or changes that amounted to something better or beneficial for you?

Perhaps we need a new adage: People revise plans. God smiles.