Do you plan everything? Do you look at a calendar and see what’s coming and decide how you’re going to handle everything and what you will do in what order?
Well, I don’t.
Not usually anyway. Sometimes I think about things a little bit ahead, but mostly I fly by the seat of my pants. I’m not saying that’s the right way. That’s just how my personality handles life.
But sometimes the Lord steps in to my unplanned life and gives me ideas. Like He did last night.
I was at Walmart and, of course, saw all of the Valentine’s Day stuff. It didn’t move me. No wheels started turning or lightbulbs came on. But I was standing at the deli waiting for Gary to order chicken when I saw these cute little toast things.
Right then, inspiration struck. I should have a tea party for my kids for Valentine’s Day and make little sandwiches with these little pieces of toast. That set me to looking for other things to serve at our Valentine’s tea party. I found some little red foam plates. I had already picked out red plastic cups, not even in Valentine-planning mode yet. Now the wheels were turning. I went over and got the waffle maker I saw on a previous shopping trip that makes 3 heart-shaped waffles.
Now the wheels were smoking! I got a bouquet of pink flowers.
I looked at some of the icing-covered cookies and brownie bites, but I really don’t like all of that icing. So I think I’ll do something with heart-shaped chocolate cookies that we make ourselves.
When I got home with the flowers, the kids knew something was up. I told them my plans for a Valentine’s tea party. Morgan said he didn’t want to be at a tea party. That’s for girls. But Kelsey convinced him that it’s not just for girls and it wasn’t all going to be pink. There would be lots of red, too!
I showed them the waffle maker and they were all excited, even Morgan. Anna said, “Sweet!”
So there you have it. I’m planning something several days ahead of the event. I don’t always have to be spontaneous. Now I have more time to get some more stuff for it. I can hear Gary groaning now.
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
