My Planner Died

I set goals for 2020. I bought a beautiful planner and wrote in it. Then it was destroyed. I stopped writing in the planner and before long I didn’t even open it. Today, it sits in a drawer in my home office with other planners of years gone before. Like the others, it is full of hopes and dreams. The vision was written and made plain. As in years past, much of the vision came to pass. It was just different though. Months of pages lay empty. Things happened without daily notice, without lists and ledgers.

In December of 2020, my hopes renewed, I purchased another planner-one with quotes and daily reflections. Four months are filled with plans and purpose with self-reflection journaling, quotes, scriptures, day to day activities, birthdays, anniversaries. Then nothing. Somehow, someway, 2021 in partnership with 2020 stole from me the concept of planning every detail. I’ve always been an avid planner-one with lists, and lists for the lists. My planners were full with additional pages crammed between the pages and into pockets. But for most of this year, I’ve been drifting, adapting, abiding.

Abiding-persisting. Persisting in HIM. In the days following the Israelites escape from Egypt, they followed a cloud by day and fire by night-the manifest presence of God. They stayed when He stayed. Moved when He moved.

Oh, I know He encourages us to write things down. “Write the vision. Make it plain.” (Hab 2:2-3) And I encourage you to do that, if that’s where you are. Make the SMART-specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Set health goals, financial goals, relationship goals-GO FOR IT!

But as for me-my goal for 2022 is to not over plan. I’m going to keep up with my appointments and responsibilities. I’m going to remain faithful to those things I am and the things I have committed to. I’m going to abide in HIM-my God. I’m going to follow Jesus and the leading of His voice. My desire is to move when He moves and stay put when He says stay put. I will walk in Hope and Faith. I will trust Him for my future and for my present. I will spend my moments loving others, and being loved in return. I will smile and laugh, work and play, read, write, journal, CrossFit, attend church, play keys, visit family, and embrace more moments not written into a planner. I’m going to be a Proverbs 31 woman who laughs at the days to come and a I Corinthians 13 believer who demonstrates what LOVE is. I will learn to embrace surprise and not get stressed if the course shifts a bit here and there. And for the first time in over twenty years-I’m not going to buy a planner. Yes, I’ll have a calendar so Hubby and I can stay on the same page and remember birthdays-and remember to not overcommit! I’ll be okay, trust me!

In fact, I think I’m going to be more than okay! This is the year for Hope! This is the year to flourish. We will not merely survive. We will thrive!