Two: Journey

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”  ~ Douglas Adams 

We are all on a journey. Much of the time, we may think we know where we're going. We are moving toward a goal. We're going somewhere. Our path is laid out before us. Plans are made and we tick things off of our list as we get closer to where in life we think we should be.

Sometimes our bodies or our bosses or life circumstances have other plans.

Sometimes God has better plans.

I had a plan. When my kids were old enough, I'd go back to work. Bring in a real income. Help to support our family. And hopefully make a difference in the world somehow or another.

My body had other plans. Instead, I work part time scheduling tests and appointments, researching options for treating my multiple illnesses, and work toward getting myself as healthy as possible. My second part-time job is spent searching out bargains, clipping coupons, scanning thrift stores, and doing everything I can to make ever penny count so that my family can survive on one income. And then there's the main full time job of raising, homeschooling, loving, and caring for my children. They've decided to throw some challenges my way in the form of Aspergers times two, autoimmune issues times one, mood disorder times one, and OCD to the tenth power times one.

You do the math - that's a lot of being not where I intended to be.

Life was supposed to be easy, wasn't it?

But here's the thing. I wouldn't trade any of this, including the pain, the challenges, and the heartbreaks for the life I had envisioned. After all, they come along with an overabundance of love, inspiration, joy, and laughter.

I am where I need to be, doing what I need to be doing - for myself, for my family. God has given me the gifts that help me navigate life's hardships and a sense of humor that serves me well. It's difficult at times, and at times I thought I must be headed in completely the wrong direction, but I trust God that I've ended up exactly where I need to be. 


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Forty Days: In Thought, Word, and Deed