Foiled plans

 

 I am off Sundays and Mondays, and Tuesday is my "Monday". I fully planned on working yesterday, but by the time Monday evening came, the cold/cough I was getting had hit full force. I felt terrible and was having coughing fits that left me feeling I was going to pass out. Anyone with a brain enjoys an extra day off, but a sick day isn't as fun and I get no sick days.... just a pay without the day I miss. I felt sick enough to call off though, so I did. I popped two pills to help me sleep instead of the usual one, and spent a somewhat fitful night, waking up coughing a few times.

  I slept in until 9:30, which did feel good. I checked my email, read my daily comics, had my morning devotions, and finally wandered upstairs to get cleaned up.... only to get back in my pjs. I spent the remainder of the morning blogging, reading, and napping. I planned to do that all day: enjoy a quiet house,  rest and nap, read, and maybe do another blog post.

  That isn't quite how the rest of my day went. As I lay back in my recliner buried under a blanket, I found out my peace and quiet was gong to be invaded. At 2 pm, my 3 nephews were dropped off for  the rest of the day and to spend the night. Three boys ages 14, 11, and 8 were going to change my quiet afternoon and evening.

  They went outside for short period of time, and then came in and asked the inevitable question: "Uncle Mark, can we play Mario Karts?" The Wii and Wii U are in the basement; the same basement where I was resting. And they don't play it quietly. I, being the wonderful uncle that I am, said they could. And then the next question: "Are you going to play it with us?" And again, being the wonderful uncle that I am, I said yes.

 And that is how most of the afternoon and evening went. Did I feel like playing a noisy game with three noisy boys? No, I did not. I felt like burrowing under the covers with my bag of cough drops, and resting.

  The oldest boy went hunting for a couple of hours with my dad, and it was two boys and myself for a while. Then my mom went to work, and I kicked those two off of the game system for a while, then we were back at it until I declared at 8:30 that it was time to shut it down.

  I didn't feel very rested, and I still felt sick as a dog. My afternoon and evening hadn't gone the way I had planned, but it was fun. I wouldn't trade the high fives my nephews gave me the few times I actually came in first in a race, or the evil laughs they let out as they knocked me back a few places in a race, or the satisfaction of knocking THEM back a few places in a race, and especially the "thanks for playing Mario Karts with us, Uncle Mark" as we shut the system down, and especially the hugs good night.

  I'd planned on working yesterday, but due to sickness enjoyed sleeping in, resting, and getting some reading done. I planned on a full day and evening of that, but instead spent most of that time playing video games with three boys I love very much and who are growing up way too fast.

  I have been thinking. How often have I resisted my plans not going the way I had intended, instead of just enjoying the change? How often has God had something better for me than my plans, but I fought it and pouted that things didn't go the way I wanted and had planned.

 Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you." Maybe a better question is how often do I foil God's plans for me, and mess those plans up by doing what I think is best, by not seeking His will, or taking the wrong path? He always knows best, and sometimes what we see as interruptions to our plans are actually heavenly hindrances meant for our best.

 And sometimes He uses something as simple as an unexpected day off and changing the plans for that day to teach a thick-headed guy like me a lesson.

 His plan is always the best, and God help to me always follow whatever plan He has for my life. And to be the best uncle I can be.