The weather guys in our part of the woods have been predicting a winter blitzkrieg for the last three days. It's the first time in a long time that I've actually seen a "blizzard" warning on the TV weather map. It'll get here tonight and all day tomorrow.
We finally worked out the Christmas visit with the DAGU (Daughter All Grown Up) about a week & a half ago. She's gonna leave tonight for the 3 hour drive and we'll have Christmas tomorrow before she goes back down below tomorrow night.
You'd think we'd have first dibbs, right? By at least a week.
But nooo. The weather trumps plans.
One of the local pubs had a very philosophical bent to their highway signage, changing the pithy saying every week. I'm not saying it was Biblical wisdom, but some of it was pretty good. There's one that pops into mind, urged on by the 2nd cup of Elixir.
"Life is what happens to you while you're making plans."
Ain't it the truth, eh?
Planning to see the DAGU. The weather, lots of it, shows up.
Life changes.
It always seems to catch me by surprise. Life has caught a lot of people by surprise. This time of year I can think of two specifically.
Mary and Joseph.
Mary had plans. Engaged to Joseph. Settling down. Fitting in.
Instead, Life involved an angel and a virgin birth. Not to mention the "Donkey Ride from Purgatory-South" and the night of negative-two-star hotel accommodations for her 1st birth.
And Joseph. Engaged to Mary. Starting a family. Fitting in.
Life gave him a pregnant fiancée, the "concerned whispers" of all those "good people", and the "learn-as-you-go" job of being a step-dad to the Savior of the World.
Huh.
Life differs from Plans. Well, my Plans, anyway.
But I know there's One who never gets surprised.
One who knows exactly how Life and His Plan all fit together.
One we can trust with the"Why?!!"s when Life differs soooo much from my Plans. Our Plans.
Huh.
Well, one more cup of the Elixir of Knowledge and I'll get on with Life.
At least, that's what I'm planning to do.
We'll see.