Posted on by Belinda O

I Had It All Worked Out…

Man plans. God laughs.

While I’ve always somewhat dismissed the above saying–I don’t believe God laughs and it’s a bit offensive to my faith–I do get the point. For the last couple of years I’ve been making plans to retire. Now it seems those plans may not come about as quickly as I’d hoped.

It was difficult for me to get up this morning, the Monday after daylight saving time started. It’s always a challenge to get out of bed on Mondays, in part because I let myself sleep in on the weekend against all expert advice, and in part because I just don’t want to go to work. In the past I’ve been able to say, okay, just x number of months left before you can retire. Now the time has stretched out considerably longer than a mere count of months.

I’m also concerned because I can no longer afford to visit my mom in Minneapolis. She’s getting older and I know I could lose her at any time. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not in failing health per se, but it is a struggle for her to walk very far. Plus, her memory is spotty. My plans after retirement include moving to Minneapolis myself, but of course that’s looking like it will take a little longer than expected as well.

However, I refuse to give in to the frustration of dashed hopes. I can be stubborn and I’ll put that quality to good use in this situation. Perhaps there is a strong reason things aren’t rolling out as I’d hoped. I guess I may never know about that for sure, but I do believe God is in control. My faith is getting stronger. That’s due in part to a renewed commitment to pray and read the Bible (don’t worry, I’m not going to preach) as well as a priest at my Episcopalian church who speaks to our relationship with God and his nature. It’s uplifting, something I haven’t experienced in church as often as I’d like.

So, I’m going to keep on planning, adjusting my ideas to each new factor that affects my decision. Until I hit my target, this woman plans, and no one laughs.

Image Credits: Target (header) © alexdndz–stock.adobe.com; Stubborn Fox © Jean–stock.adobe.com

12 Replies to “I Had It All Worked Out…”

  1. Love this post, Belinda. It is inspiring to hear that because of your faith, you can face your challenges head on. The great thing about faith is that you are not governed by your circumstances because God is in control. While those who have retired may still face uncertainty, we still need to hold on to the objective truth that God is sovereign. My hope lies in going to be with Jesus. The circumstances of the world today would have me pull out the rest of the hair I have if I didn’t have my faith.

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  2. That is one of my most favorite sayings, Belinda.

    Mondays are a hard one. Deciding on a retirement date is even harder. I have faith that God will smile, and you will know. And you will smile, too.

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  5. Your positive attitude is inspiring, Belinda. You deserve to have less stress and I feel for you, with navigating the distance from your mom. I will pray things fall into place for you.

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  6. That first line is one of my favorite sayings and I believe I’m complete entertainment for God. It’s good to have a plan, but God knows your heart and where you want to be. He allows circumstances to strengthen our faith and this is happening for you! Sounds like to me, you are right where you need to be and it’s only temporary. Keep doing the very best you can right where you are as He prepares the path ahead. 🧡

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