Finding Flexibility & Honoring a Hero

I'm a planner. I am always thinking several days ahead. Sometimes this works out great, and everything goes smoothly and exactly according to my plans. However many times, this leaves me frustrated and robbed of the joy in living in the moment. My planning definitely comes in handy when it comes to homeschooling, but I almost missed an awesome opportunity this morning when I was completely stuck on what I had already planned for our day.

My husband's company, Lennox International, had donated HVAC equipment to Operation Coming Home who had just completed the construction of a mortgage-free home for Corporal Nathan Jakubisin who lost a leg and sustained other injuries in the war against terror. Austin invited us to come along to the Key Ceremony this morning. I immediately started thinking of how it would mess up my lesson plans for the day to leave the house for the entire morning. I spent about 10 minutes trying to strategize and figure out how we could possibly get everything done. I came so close to saying no, when I realized that this was EXACTLY what the girls needed to learn about today. They had an opportunity to make a real connection with the sacrifices that military families make and to be a part of honoring a special family. So, I placed my lesson plans on the back burner, and we joined Austin for the ceremony. I am so grateful that we did.

It was such a beautiful way to spend 9/11 and honor someone who had made such great sacrifices so that we can live in freedom. I was able to have some wonderful conversations with Cora about the military, war, government structure, and community. She was able to see the mayor of Fuquay-Varina, John Byrne; the governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory; and Corporal Jakubisin had a private phone conversation with Vice President Joe Biden while we were there. She saw countless men and women in military uniform, and really connected with the work that that they do. She even has her own plan for addressing terrorists which includes our family heading overseas so that we can tie up, hit, spit and use squirt guns on the bad guys. She wanted to share her plan with Corporal Jakubisin, but I told her we would probably have to save that for another day. :)

I am so glad that our day was "interrupted", and I know that they learned just as much (or more!) on our outing than they would have if we stuck to my lesson plans. And I learned to keep a loose hold on my plans, and allow the Lord to lead each day. You never know what opportunities He will bring.

 "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 

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