Change of plans

Well, well, well...look who's back at it! It's been months, literally! Lots of "new" going on in the land of Ali Schmidt..since my last post: I've moved, become gainfully employed and snagged me a lover!! But of course none of that came to me in the way I had planned...

I was cruising through life with a pretty good idea of where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do and even who I wanted to do it with (ha!). I had a life plan. It was pretty fantastic. All the pieces fit, all the colors matched and all the notes were perfectly pitched. I had a beautiful purpose and a fantastic existence. My future. I had it all mapped out in my head...in my prayers...in my heart. I was zooming at top speed, passing things left and right, not able to focus on the blur of anything else around me...I had a destination and was happily on my way to reaching it.
Then I saw the flashing lights in my rearview....

I was forced to stop. Breathe. Listen. Rethink some things. Look around. Get out of the friggin' car and stretch! None of which I wanted to do, none of which I'm very good at doing...especially when I've already settled my mind on other things. But, when you're forced to stop...you simply have no other choice. So I stopped. And as usual, I was able to see that the Lord was up to something again. He sure does work creatively in my life...let me tell ya!!
Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that I'm okay. Better than okay. I'm peaceful. I'm content. I'm relaxed. I'm not hammering down the highway at 120 trying to get somewhere I don't even know exists anymore. I'm doing this day by day, sometimes even hour by hour. I'm not fixating on all the things I've dreamed up or all the things I'm lacking. I'm training my heart to be wide open to new ideas, new languages, new surroundings.
I still have a pretty good idea of where I'm going to end up...but the getting there is a completely new road. I'm guessing it's going to be laden with potholes and truckers and horrible drivers. But the thing is, if I'm not so focused on the actual drive...I'll be able to see the awesome scenery and maybe even enjoy the company of my passengers.
Life is good folks. God has a plan. Don't get all freaked out when that plan seems to change...because it really doesn't. It's what He had designed all along.