U-Turn

Have you ever had your plans take a u-turn?  What do we do when it happens? 

It definitely seems like it has happened more often to Dan and me since Covid began.  

A recent example was a trip to visit our daughter Adrienne and her husband Ankur in Seattle this month.  With a new home, the inside painting was on the schedule.  We also planned a snowshoe trip in the mountains.  We were looking forward to our time together. 

With a canceled flight, it was soon quickly realized it was not going to be easy to get there.  We did arrive at 2 a.m. Iowa time.  As soon as we arrived we got the bad news of our daughter testing positive with Covid while we were in flight.  She was not feeling good.  : (    Now what were we to do with this U-turn?  Do we go home?  Tears began to well up in my eyes.  How can this be?  I realized that we were not going to be together with our daughter and son-in-law much on this trip.  How heartbreaking. 

With our daughter’s suggestion, we rented a car and took a trip to the Oregon Coast for 5 days.  It was not what we planned.  But with every u-turn that happens in our life, we have to make the best of the situation. 

This brought to my mind how much we are not in control of what mostly happens in our day.  What we are in control of is how we respond in the midst of our U-turns.  I pray God will help me to accept whatever may happen in my day. Praying He gives me the strength that I need for what comes my way.    

We soon found our path taking us on to a beach with our paint clothes, snow boots, and winter coats.  We made the best of the situation.

And yes, in the end, we had 2 beautiful days with Adrienne and Ankur. 

It’s up to us how smooth the U-turn goes. 

God’s Word-Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.