Flea Market Left

 "Everything changes except God. One certainty in life is change."

In what seems like a different lifetime now, I used to be a bit of an adventurer. A wake on a weekend morning itching to go. Explore. Drive.

One Sunday morning, I convinced Sweet Daddy to take a little road trip. We drove up to see the mountains, the rivers, the nature you can't find in Dunwoody. This was the late 90's. Before we had cell phones or GPS devices. We had one of those atlases in our truck (google that young folks!).

I'm pretty good with directions based on landmarks. I got us to North Carolina easily. We enjoyed a wonderful day. Where Sweet Daddy reminded me several times he had a paper and a presentation the next day. Reminded me he wanted to be back by dinner time. No problem.

It got dark early, snuck up on us. My directions to get home included a very important, make a left when you see the flea market. Well, in the dark, it is tough to see a closed road side flea market, and let's just say we didn't make that left. I wasn't concerned until we passed a "Welcome to Tennessee" sign. We didn't drive through Tennessee on our way. We were WAY far from our route home.

We stopped at a gas station, took our Atlas inside, and got directions back home. We made it home in the wee hours of the night, where Sweet Daddy then practiced his all nighter college skills and finished his paper and presentation.

It's funny to me how the telling of this story has changed over the years. At first Sweet Daddy didn't think it was funny. At all. He told it in one of those "oh you know Michele" story ways. As the years passed, it became one of our better memories. The laughs. The gas station food splurges we bought with change we found in the truck. And now, we're both sort of sappy when we think of it. What used to be. What we were once able to do.

This story sort of parallels for me how I think of my plan for my life. I'm thinking I'll make a left at the flea market, and more often than not, there is no left made. The reasons are always different - challenges, seasons of life, the list goes on.

I'm learning to trust God. To accept that His plan is best.

He has no detours. No missed left turns at the flea market. He's got it all planned out for me. I *merely* need to trust.

24 The Lord guides our steps, and we never know where he will lead us. Proverbs 20:24

"Our refusal to adapt doesn't change the circumstances, but it does steal our peace and joy."

I'm so thankful that Sweet Daddy and I both laughed upon seeing the "Welcome to Tennessee" sign. Because, if either of us had reacted differently - that memory would be so different for us. It would have taken the joy.

When we don't make the left at the flea market because He has other plans for us, I hope we all choose to joyfully see what adventure holds in Tennessee. Because I'm sure He's got plans for us.

Mama Warriors, I'm finding that not only does life not go as I plan, but most days I can't get even pull off breakfast smoothly. As we enter what is inevitably a busy season for most, I hope you treasure the wrong turns. The burnt cookies. The tears at Santa instead of a smile. The traffic jam on the way to grandma's. Don't let the bumps, the things you didn't' plan for, steal your peace or joy this season.

Published 11/14/2016