Blessed are the flexible…for they shall not get “bent out of shape”. We should be more like a palm tree. Even in a storm with high winds, they will bend but not break…Have you every had one of those days, where most everything you had planned …didn’t work out? Sometimes it is due to unrealistic expectations caused by trying to squeeze too many things into a short period of time. The key there is not to “over-book” and allow some margin in your schedule to allow for adequate time between tasks and to compensate for unexpected delays. When our life is cluttered with too many obligations, we tend to have misplaced values that can make everything seem like a “big deal” when it really isn’t. Dwight Eisenhower rightly said “The urgent is rarely important and the important is rarely urgent.”

On other days, we may encounter an unexpected crisis, delay, or a change in our schedule that is really beyond our control. This requires patience, a proper perspective and a good attitude. It is also helpful to think about options in how to adapt and adjust in these situations. The reality is, there are actually a lot of things beyond “our control.” 

  I experience these type of days because of the nature of my work in helping people in times of crisis, grief and serious illness .The basic theme of a lot of my days have been to go with my planned schedule and daily priorities but at the same time be totally flexible in allowing God to control my day. It is interesting to note, that when Jesus walked this earth, a lot of His most important ministry opportunities happened during an interruption on His way to somewhere else. 

I have learned that there is a freedom in doing your best, yet allowing God to change Your schedule to be a part of His plan for your life. Our detours can become His destinations for us, our disappointments can become His divine appointments for us in the grand scheme of things. We can take comfort in knowing that God is with us no matter what we may encounter each day. We need to be like palm trees. They thrive in most any environment. Because of their flexibility and resilience many cultures considered them symbols of victory and peace… “Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. They will take root in Your house, Lord God and will do well. They will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful even when they are old.” – Psalm 92:12-14 (CEV)