Whoops!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” declares the Lord
(Isaiah 55:8)

My son, Jack, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. He was the first of my three children to receive a diagnosis. At this time, Autism was not as well known or understood as it is today, and we often encountered little compassion or understanding for some of his behaviours from onlookers. As young parents, still a bit wet behind the ears, we found ourselves catapulted into a world we felt, at times, extremely ill-equipped to deal with.
 
But more so for little Jack. For him, daily life was often just a confusing mass of events, full of chaotic places, people, lights and sounds. Amongst many other things, one of his main challenges during those early formative years was coping with unexpected changes to plans and routines. So much so, that every aspect of daily life had to be laid out on a visual timetable, and each item of the day's agenda moved and filed into the ‘finished box’ at its completion.
 
Now this was all well and good when things went to plan, but it could all turn pretty sour pretty quickly when life's inevitable ‘interruptions’ took place. An unexpected knock at the door, a trip out in the car with an unscheduled stop at the petrol station and, heaven forbid, you had to use a different shaped pasta for dinner!
 
After one particularly stressful trip out, where one such interruption had taken place, we were advised by his SEN team to introduce the ‘Whoops Card’ - and the ‘Whoops Card’ was a game changer!
 
The ‘Whoops Card’ could be used to signal any unexpected or last minute changes to the routine. Need to stop off at the shop on the way? Take a different route home? Mufti day at school? Then the Whoops Card is the one for you!
 
When I look back to some of those early parenting years, I realised that although Jack's development and understanding were improving, I was the one taking a bit longer to catch up. Slowly, I began to see that life didn’t always have to be quite so rigid and organised. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to make plans and have a direction for the day, but I’ve found it's incredibly freeing to expect and accept for those plans to be interrupted.
 
Sometimes in our Christian faith, we can fall into a similar pattern of thinking that we need a clear and fixed structure, as to how we approach working out God's plans and purposes for our lives.
 
But our God loves to work in unexpected and mysterious ways and we must be ready to adapt and move with it, if we are to live out to the full the life He has for us to live. Trusting and leaning on the truth that His thoughts and ways are so much higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9)
 
I’ve discovered, it's a powerful and exciting place for us to be when we can start each day simply by saying ‘God, I have a plan for today, but if there is something you want to do through me today and You want to interrupt those plans, then please give me the wisdom and grace to do so in Your strength!’ - I like to think of it as the Whoops Card Prayer!
 
So, today will you allow yourself to be directed and guided by His Spirit, and used to fulfil His plans and purposes? I have found that God rarely interrupts me at a convenient time! But the blessings of staying in that thin place of allowing His Spirit to fully lead us, far outweigh the inconvenience of the interruption.
 
Let’s pray - Lord, Your thoughts and ways are so much higher than my own. I trust in you completely, committing all that this day may hold, to Your pure and perfect plan. Direct me by Your Spirit, lead me in Your love, and ready my heart to be guided and used by You today. In Jesus name. Amen