How many times have you planned something and had it fall apart? A nice meal and something burns? A surprise party and someone let’s the proverbial ” cat out of the bag” a few days before? A picnic and the rain hits – usually not in the forecast I might add…ok so even I’ve only mentioned three scenarios, most of us have been there done that at least one time. What I’m interested in is your reaction to it. Did you blow up and yell? Did you cry and paint yourself a failure? Did you use that moment in time as an excuse to eat an entire pint of ice cream?

For some of us, it is far more weighty scenarios that have a greater impact on our lives. Did you start a business that failed? Maybe you had a business with the opposite problem – it became so successful t no longer needed you and/or resembled the small homey thing you envisioned? (seems like a really good quandry to have but it still can be horribly isolating). How about married someone and expected that it would be forever? That your partner would be fair and honest. Loving. Fun. A traveler and a dreamer. Someone who laughs and shares freely. What happens when and if it isn’t so?

Truthfully, I used to be the girl that would fret about everything. I had earned my superior “worry wart badge” by the time that I was probably only eight years old.  A problem, you name it, I worried over it. As I aged, even though I had faith that there was something that held me close, I still clung to the reigns tightly. I released some of the control but could not bring myself to let go of the side of life’s pool. When I struggled with things, I often heard myself fall in to the why me trap or watched myself get immobilized in the fear of what if.

And then, a few months ago I woke up. Through a series of life experiences, I was shown a tremendous and important mind shift. What if there really is purpose in things falling apart instead of together? What does things falling apart really do for us? It teaches us to “go with the flow”. To grow…That the scary thing we never thought we could overcome we did. To relax a little because the seemingly big stuff might not be so big.

The good news is this. They say that Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will our lives or our character be built that way either. Your life may not be what you thought it would be, but it is exactly as it should be for this very moment. Your job is to gather the lessons out of it and build on each of them.

When the time and place is right, you will (hopefully) see the wisdom in all things and realize this – what looked like falling apart to you was simply falling together in His greater plan. My hope and encouragement to you – hang in there. Before you know it, that moment will be here for you. Afterall, don’t they always say,there is always a silver lining in every storm cloud? I’ve chosen to grab my umbrella and sing in it. Join me?