February 18, 2020

Shannon loves to change and rearrange and as long as she doesn’t change or rearrange husbands, I’m good with it.

Yesterday, I was off for President’s Day, so we did what we always do, we went to Lowes. As soon as we got to the store, I went to the tool section and Shannon went to the garden section. My mistake was leaving Shannon unsupervised, but in my defense, I didn’t know she was in her change and rearrange mode.

When we finally found each other, my cart had some tools and nails I needed for a project. I saw flowers in Shannon’s cart and assumed that’s all there was. It wasn’t until the cashier was ringing up the items in Shannon’s cart that I realized I was in trouble. That’s because, in addition to buy flowers and potting soil, Shannon had stopped by the plumbing section and picked up three bathroom faucets.

I spent the rest of the day under three different bathroom sinks, with my body contorted in all sorts of weird positions as I removed the old faucets and installed new ones. It was not the day I had planned.

Sometimes life is like that. We believe we have a good handle on what the day will bring and suddenly it goes in a completely different direction; sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

Your wife may hijack your day and lovingly make you spend eternity changing out bathroom faucets. Your boss may have an unexpected project. Your brother may call you from college to say he’s dropping out and enlisting in the Marines. Your mother may unexpectedly call you to say she’s has cancer but everything will be okay. A few months later, you may be standing over your mother’s grave wishing for more time. Your district superintendant may call late one night to say that you are moving from a church you love to a church you will love just as much. Your daughter may ask for a plane ticket so she can spend a year in Germany prior to going to college. You may have just written the greatest sermon in the history of sermons, only to have the hard drive crash. The list of the unexpected goes on and on….

The bottom line is that life is full of the unexpected. But in the midst of the constant changing and rearranging, there is a God who will never change. He is the solid foundation in the midst of continual chaos that seems to be the rule rather than the acceptation. God is the One who will always be there for you and never let you down. All God asks is that you trust and believe.

The psalmist said: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Something unexpected will happen today. Just know that when it does, the Lord of the Universe is with you and God’s love will not change. That makes anything bearable – even changing out three bathroom faucets.

Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, be with me today as I navigate the unexpected. Help me to always trust and believe in your wonderful love, guidance, and presence. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

When I was younger, I thought commanding tanks and jumping out of airplanes was what it meant to have a life of adventure. But what I learned is that the real adventure started when I married Shannon. I wouldn’t change a thing.

I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins