The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. The kind of whirlwind that yanks plans out of your hands and rips it into a 3000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

My mom had been scheduled for a knee-replacement surgery. The timing of the procedure had been planned precisely: it would be a week after my husband returned from a business trip abroad. He would have ample time to recover from jet lag, so he could take care of our kids’ school schedule while I stayed at the hospital with my mom while she regained her strength.

We were all set. We would make this work.

Everything was going like clockwork. Till it wasn’t.

The “mild” backache that the husband had been having suddenly threw a tantrum of epic proportions. The hubby who was totally game for setting the alarm extra early, packing school lunches, and dropping the kids off at the bus stop was completely immobilized by blinding pain.

And, yes, this was the evening before I was set to leave home for a week.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, they say. Whoever “they” are, “they” happen to be a-right (Although I’m not too certain about the plans mice draw up to get that piece of cheese. Is there a mice-planning commission that draws up a 17-point sustainable cheese charter of sorts?)

We put our well-crafted plans in a container and added a heaping tablespoon of unexpected circumstances to the mix—but out poured out God’s grace which was still sufficient for each day. We had family and friends step in. I was able to stay at the hospital while the kids moved in with my dad. My husband’s brother stayed with him for a week and took him for doctor’s visits and carried meals up to his room. Our friends poured out love and concern and prayers. While we were buffeted by winds, we were also buoyed by prayers.

Was it easy? Not particularly. My mom’s surgery was scheduled for 9 am, and after prepping her and wheeling her into the Operation Theater, the procedure was delayed by six hours. Her recovery in the hospital was more intense than I imagined. My husband’s back pain got progressively worse for a few days. He dreaded coughing or sneezing because of the pain.

Nope, it wasn’t easy. But maybe it was necessary?

I don’t believe that God rearranges our schedules on a whim. I don’t think He decides to throw a wrench in our plans just because. I don’t believe circumstances get the better of us because our Creator is not in control.

There is a purpose behind those “best-laid plans” going awry.

I don’t know the exact reasons. His ways are exceedingly beyond my comprehension. But I would propose that sometimes God disrupts our “perfect” plans so we can depend on His infallible wisdom and grace.

God disrupts our “perfect” plans so we can depend on His infallible wisdom and grace.

It’s often when our plans fall through that we fall into the arms of the One who will not fail us.

I can hear the Type A’s among us ask with cautious trepidation, “Does that mean we can’t make detailed Excel sheets and color code them?” Breathe easy, friend. The Bible is not advocating that we throw our planners in a bonfire and go bohemian with our ways. In fact, it says: Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house” (Proverbs 24:27)

Planning is good and necessary. But can we hold our plans loosely and humbly? Can we choose to say, “Lord, here’s what I think, but my wisdom is limited and flawed. I put my trust in You and commit my ways to You.”

When our plans work perfectly, there is the distinct possibility of being pulled into pride. We tend to ride the “I’ve got this” wave which inflates our egos and leaves little room for God.

But the truth, friend, is that you and I don’t “got this.” We never did. We may have deluded ourselves into thinking we were in control. But it’s when our plans crumble like stale bread, we see our need for the Bread of Life.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, but the weak get to go to the Throne of Grace to receive mercy and help in their time of need.

The hubby and my mom are on the road to recovery. The road is long and there are bends and speed bumps that will come up unexpectedly, but two weeks into our journey, I can say that when our plans falter, we can trust a faithful God.

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