Not According To Plan

 
Today did not go according to MY plan.

3:30 a.m.- Charis wakes... MY plan: Charis wake at 7 a.m.

4:00 a.m.- get Charis back to bed.

7:00 a.m.-Blood drive people arrive at church fellowship hall (right next to bedroom window) and begin chatting and unloading all their loud equipment. MY plan: sleep in until at least 7:30.

7:10 a.m.-Kids wake up to phone ringing two times in a row. The blood drive people set church alarm off and needed help.

7:15 a.m.- EVERYBODY is up. NOT MY PLAN :)

7:30 a.m. - I decide since I am sleep deprived that I want to be mean to my husband. Not a good plan. Especially since it is supposed to be his day off... who wants to spend their day off with a crabby wife?

 
8:00 a.m.- Decide to be nice to my husband and we have a nice chat while kids run around and make a mess and I pretend they aren't. That was not part of my plan. But it was nice!

The times start becoming a blur after this....

Some time a little later-Scott goes and donates blood. Ricky follows.

Around 11 a.m.-Friend comes over. Him and Scott talk forever (okay, not forever, but close). MY plan: spend family day together at park... or at least have daddy take big kids to the park so I can clean.

12:00- Scott realizes he can't take kids to the park so we settle for a picnic in backyard. NOT my plan.

1:30-Scott gets ready to go to office. DEFINITELY NOT my plan on his day off but because he is doing something special with kids all day Saturday while I host a ministry event at my house he has to go. I am left with four crazy kids to myself. Not my plan.

Things get blurry again :)

I notice Johnny isn't napping... not good. Not according to plan.

4:30- Charis wakes up and I am desperately trying to keep Johnny awake so he doesn't fall asleep at 5 and wake up at 4... Mission somewhat failed: he fell asleep at 5:45... still not my plan.

5:45- Johnny is passed out on floor, Ricky starts sniffling like he is getting a cold, Charis won't stop crying and has a cold, daddy is still at office... can you guess?! Not my plan!

6:30-nurse Charis again to try and get her to sleep. company comes over while I am in back. Ricky wakes up Johnny which throws him into a screaming fit I finally get him to go back to sleep... Not my plan.

7:00-Lay Charis down, company leaves. Tell Ricky and Rhea it's bed time (they usually go to bed at 8:30... but NOT TODAY! I like that NEW plan. :)

7:30-Realize Charis is still crying. Go in room to see she has had a...for lack of a better term... poop-explosion. We don't have a bathroom to bathe her in right now because we are remodeling so while I hold her in one arm getting poop all over me with her screaming I take the baby tub and put it on kitchen counter and fill it with bowls full of water from the kitchen sink... I realize I didn't get a washcloth so I grab a bib and she starts screaming because I forgot a towel and so when I took her out she was freezing. Get a diaper on her asap and nurse her again. lay her down. I think she is finally sleeping.

I am still in pajama clothes and haven't showered and never got around to putting on mascara... ALL OF THIS WAS NOT MY PLAN.

But it was probably His plan. His plan is always best. His plan refines me and makes me more like Christ.

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

This verse blesses the very depths of my mama soul. I have LOTS of plans every day... and my day never seems to go just as I planned. That's a good thing.

Motherhood in general never seems to go as planned and I think that is just the way God planned it. You see, He knew we were controlling (Genesis 3:16) and what better way to break a controlling spirit then to ruin it's plans?! He knows best. What do I know?

Motherhood is all about sacrifice. Sacrifice of sleep. Sacrifice of pride. Sacrifice of CONTROL. The sooner we realize and accept this the more we will enjoy motherhood.

Let go of your plans and allow His plan to work in your life and in your heart. He can do great things with a humble mama.