Check Your Schedule

GRAB YOUR CALENDAR, momma. We’re about to surrender today to the Lord. And as scary as that sounds, on those days when I’ve willingly offered up my perfectly laid-out (and color-coded!) plans, I’ve experienced more joy than I’ve ever found on the pages of a detailed schedule.

But there’s a significant difference between surrendering our schedules and chucking them out the window completely. As moms, we are called to create order and structure for our families. We keep track of tests and baseball schedules and playdates. And I firmly believe in getting things out of our heads and onto paper, because the mind of a momma isn’t the most trustworthy holder of important details! In other words, this totally type-A girl who loves structure doesn’t have to hyperventilate at the thought of waking up to an entirely blank page, just waiting for God to fill it up.

Proverbs 16:3 helps me manage this tension: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (NIV). If we are inviting God into the process of how we plan our days, we don’t have to fear that God will come in and dismantle the whole thing (or if he does, it will be the exception).

So what does it look like to commit whatever we do to the Lord and put him in charge? Here are a few things I think will help us walk this out, on a practical level:

Big picture. If you make goals at the beginning of the year (or a three- or five-year vision for your family), make sure part of your process is to explicitly ask the Lord what he is calling you to do next. Give him space to respond before you write down a bunch of your own plans. Then hold that list out to him and ask him if there is anything included that shouldn’t be there and if there is anything not on the list that should be there.

Seasonal. Pause before saying yes to a new commitment. It’s the same principle that applies in marriage: you show respect to your spouse by discussing big decisions with him instead of making the choice on your own. In the same way, we honor God by talking over a decision with him first. This might involve a ten-second pause or a delay of a few days, but get in the habit of leaving some wait time before you commit to something. When we answer immediately, we are voicing our own desires (or trying to please someone else) instead of seeking God’s input first.

Daily. We can get just as excited for the unknowns of our day as we can for what we have written down. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for and confidently expect the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for and confidently expect the LORD” (AMP). That right there is the spice of life—and the remedy for the mom who is overwhelmed with how mundane the tasks of motherhood can be. If your list consists of doing laundry and going grocery shopping, hold that calendar up to the Lord and let him surprise you with what he will bring your way when you surrender it to him!

The Message and the Amplified Bible give us an even clearer picture of Proverbs 16:3. “Put GOD in charge of your work” (MSG) and “your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]” (AMP). To respond to God’s will and his guidance, we have to seek him consistently in his Word and through prayer and wise counsel. As we do this, we will grow more comfortable on those days when our schedules are completely dismantled, because we trust the God we’ve grown to know and love.

How exciting to picture a mom who is learning how to surrender her calendar each morning. As she does, this very act of surrender becomes something that brings joy and expectation instead of fear and anxiety.

ACTION STEP

Grab your planner, hold it out, and offer it up to the Lord today.

PRAYER

Father, I long so much to have my plans align with yours. That means giving you the big things as well as the daily things. This morning, I check my schedule and ask you to reevaluate what I have written. If anything doesn’t line up with your plan, I give it to you. I choose to obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

MORNING QUESTIONS

TAKEAWAY TODAY | Are you a planner, or do you tend to just react?

What part of your schedule is hardest to surrender to the Lord?

DREADING TODAY | Is there anything you’re dreading today?

REDEFINING TODAY | If so, what is another way you can view that thing you’re dreading?

ASKING GOD TODAY | What request are you bringing before the Lord today?

EVENING QUESTIONS

REFLECTION | What surprises came your way today as a result of trusting the Lord with your time?

LITTLE VICTORIES | Where did you see God show up even in small ways, reminding you that you aren’t alone?

WHITE FLAG MOMENTS | When did you want to hide or escape today?

MEMORY OF THE DAY | What do you want to relish and thank God for?