MAN PLANS, GOD LAUGHS

Man Plans, God Laughs –

There is a Yiddish saying, “Man plans, God laughs”. We have all been there. Our plans are blown out of the water by things beyond our control. How we handle this says a lot about who we are.

My life recently (are 11 months in a row considered recent? LOL) has been living proof of this saying. From small to big plans, mine have rarely happened due to things beyond my control. I have dealt with illnesses and deaths of close family and friends. I have handled business setbacks and issues in addition to my own personal struggles. I have done things that I never thought I would be asked to do and, even though I did not agree with all of them, I completed them to fulfill dying wishes. I have put others needs ahead of my needs and been away from home quite often. I am fortunate and very grateful that I am in a position where I can roll with those changes. I am able to work from anywhere. My children are adults. I have no pets to worry about. Most importantly, I welcome change (that will be the subject of a different blog).

While I have been living this old Yiddish saying, my favorite quote, attributed to Mother Teresa, has popped into my head more often than usual.

“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”

The first time that I heard this quote, I laughed as I thought about what she was communicating – Life can be tough but faith and humor can get you through. When I have been at my lowest or at the point that I was so frustrated that I wanted to quit, I have thought of Mother Teresa’s words, chuckled and kept going.

I have made one change, though. I no longer talk about my plans out loud. I think that I have given God enough opportunities to laugh at me for a while.