The Plan I Have For You

On the anniversary of one of the most unimaginable days in our country's history, my mind is taken to a conversation my 10-year-old son and I have had two nights this week.  Yes, two.  I didn't do a good enough job of answering his question the first time and had to go back to do some "homework."  He's a thinker who really keeps me on my toes.  As I tucked him into bed, he asked, "Mom, what are the signs of the end of the world?" So we have talked about those and how we can see so many of them happening. Sept. 11, 2001.  I didn't have time to dwell too much on the details of what was going on around our nation.  I was responsible for 200 riverboat passengers docked in our town.  River transportation and our lock system were shut down.  Government leaders could not assure us there would be no further threats, and the dams were power sources for much of our area.  So I spent my day doing all I could do to make arrangements and take care of the needs

My first marathon study night had been completed.  "I don't remember it being this hard before," I said to myself.  Indeed, I've had to study harder, dig deeper than I ever did in undergraduate.  There is also an extra desire to do so that comes from age and experience.  I'm not going to miss a minute.  There were plenty of undergraduate days I coasted through. "Lord, why the hard stuff in our lives?"  My days as an undergraduate were "coasting" years in my personal life too.  The older I get it seems, the bigger mountains I am called to face.  They require more time, more prayer.  "I would be perfectly content to coast, Lord." Coasting is a nice lifestyle.  Passing time, enjoying the pleasures.  There are a few coasting times we get to experience, usually long enough to catch our breath between the mountains. But we don't learn nearly as much coasting.  The times we are called to buckle down and give it all we have, those a