Plan Interrupted

Yesterday, I was going to get my hair done (an extra rare occasion during the pandemic) and as soon as I got on the highway, traffic built up to the point that I came to a complete stop and actually put my car in park. And sat there. 7:30am on Saturday morning and not a single lane was moving. I saw four police cars speed by on the shoulder leading me to come to the conclusion that there was probably an accident blocking all the lanes. There was absolutely nothing I could do, but sit there. I was definitely going to be late to my hair appointment.

Now you never want to be late to a hair appointment, but I had even more incentive not to be late for this appointment. 1) This was my first time going to this stylist. She didn’t know me and my tardiness is not how I wanted to start an encounter with a new stylist. 2) I scheduled this appointment months ago and the next available appointment for the same style was not for an additional couple of months. 3) I had already washed, conditioned and detangled my hair in preparation for this style. I didn’t want to go back and do my own hair.

But once again, here I was parked on the highway watching my estimated arrival time slowly increase and the plan of getting my hair done slowly diminish. I couldn’t help, but think of how similar my current predicament was to 2020 overall. How many of us had plans for 2020 only to watch COVID swoop in and cancel them? Birthday parties, graduations, travel destinations, you name it… interrupted.

Instead, we got more time alone, more time with God, time to rest and refresh, refocus, be still… a greater appreciation for life. The list is endless. It might not be what any of us planned for, but these are the cards we were dealt.

In the car I called my mom and told her what was going on, she asked if I wanted to reschedule. Of course, I didn’t want to reschedule for all the reasons previously mentioned. Then she reminded me of what I already knew, after contacting the stylist there was nothing I could do.

Nothing I could do. NOTHING I COULD DO…except surrender and wait. Don’t get me wrong I was annoyed, but I had absolutely no control over the situation. So I waited and to my surprise a little later I was able to take my car out of park and traffic started moving sloooooowly until we passed an exit where the overpass was covered with emergency vehicles. I was late to my appointment, but I got my hair done. (Yaaaaas! Thank you, God! lol) This plan was not totally interrupted, it was just delayed.

There’s a scripture that says “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV) As much as we may want to plan, we have to be prepared and ready for the interruptions. We don’t know what they will be or when they will occur, but they happen. And how we respond to them is key to our peace.