What is schedule?

When I lived in Houston, I remember one of the things that drove me crazy was the complete predictability of my schedule. Every day seemed to be planned out and ordered. I became resigned to the fact that I would live this way until retirement. To say I felt trapped was an understatement.

Then I answered a call to ministry. Since moving to the mountains of New Mexico, I will say that schedule has been replaced by unpredictability. One incident triggers another and I find myself simply showing up and getting out of the way of God’s purpose. God reveals how my day will unfold. Some days are more predictable than others.

While I sometimes long for a remnant of schedule, I have learned that I surrendered my plans to the one I serve. I report to work every day asking one simple request. I ask God to use me so that I may be a vehicle for the Kingdom. Many times that means that my schedule is extremely erratic and unconventional. As I move past my own wants, I realize that my needs are very simple. I need to be the conduit through which the light of Christ may be shared.

I must admit that I sometimes long for the days when I had a sense of schedule in my life. I miss the routine; however, I embrace and enjoy the adventure of unpredictability. While I am grateful for my friends who maintain and thrive within very scheduled routines, I know that my strengths are best played out when I am outside of the box. My hope today is that whether you are like those who best work within a systematic routine, or those who thrive within a system of unpredictability, you may grow in the knowledge that Christ loves and delights in you. Equipped with the knowledge that we are loved by God, the rest matters not.