How many times do you have a day that goes exactly as you planned it would? For me, that's not often. Yesterday especially so many things flew into my path. My days aren't as eventful as most. I stay home 4 out of the 7 days of the week. I do all of my work at home besides the actual shooting part. I do about 5 sessions on a Friday and 5 or 6 on a Saturday and that's a FULL week's shooting in just two days. Then I spend the rest of my days in front of this computer making the magic happen. However, I still have major plans for each day and how it's going to go. If you know me you know that I have post-it's everywhere in the house with my to-do list. I'm surprised I don't write "eat lunch" or "go to the bathroom" on there, ha! My turn-around time for my photos is normally pretty quick because I'm so organized. Sometimes, too organized. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get my to-do list done. To keep my house clean. To keep the baby happy. To keep the customers happy. To get my work done and done quickly.
God laughs at plans. You can plan all that you want but there will be things we don't expect in every day. The question is, what will you do with those circumstances? Yesterday I saw something that I wanted to lash out at. I wanted to voice my opinion because it hurt my feelings. After getting instantly angry at what I had seen, thank goodness God was teaching me to act with grace by not saying anything at all. Two more circumstances yesterday came my way and something that I instantly always get upset about (because it happens all of the time in my business, people not respecting my work) and I admit, I did at first, but again I held my tongue. What would've happened if I hadn't? Hurt feelings, anger and stress that wasn't necessary. You see, I can't let everything get to me. Some things just have to roll off, even if things aren't played by the "rules".
Again things still didn't go as I had planned yesterday as we finally sat down to relax last night after my husband came in from mowing the lawn, the baby was fed, bathed and put into bed and I was watching "Dancing with the Stars" (that was a big plan in my day). Our doorbell rang. That instantly ruffled my feathers because who dares to come to our door and 8pm when the baby is sleeping and the dog barks. My husband went to the door where there was an elderly man standing there asking to speak with me about pictures. What? Talk about pictures? At our house? At 8 o'clock at night? Why am I paying rent on a studio? If you want me to be completely honest those where my instant thoughts. I went out the front door with a puzzled look on my face as I said hello. He was a cute little man that said he and his wife were going to be celebrating their 60th anniversary this month and they were looking for a photographer to take their pictures and {this person} recommended them to me. His wife said there was only one photographer they knew in Kirksville besides me and the next closest they knew of was Macon. That flattered me that with so many photographers around that I was actually one on the radar. My heart started to soften as I look at this man and realized they were very excited about this opportunity. He asked if I had time for them and I said yes. He waved his wife out of the car and as she slowly and unsteadily walked over to us I realized she was a very fun and feisty lady. She talked to me and made me laugh with her stories and then told me they had waited so long to do this because she had been to the hospital. She told me when her appointment with the hair stylist was to get a perm and and she needed to wait awhile after that so she could get used to combing it and it wouldn't be so tight. We chatted for awhile and we found a time that would work for all of us. Even though my May schedule is packed tighter than I thought I could handle, I knew God brought these people to me for a reason. I wanted to be the one to capture this special moment in their lives. What an amazing thing to be married for 60 years! Justin and I both chuckled at the situation as we walked up the stairs to which I realized that my show was now over and I didn't see who got kicked off. Why would something so small like that even matter? God's plan for that evening was far better than mine.
On top of that, our sink and dishwasher are clogged to where I cannot use them. Can't wash dishes and my dishwasher is full. Nobody can help us right away but I instantly just see dollar signs. We had just gotten a HUGE bill we had been expecting and I had just paid that day and I thought "Okay, now I can be less stressed. That bill is paid and now we can relax a little." So when this happened my immediate thought was "Really God? Why can't things just go smoothly for a little bit". Because if everything went exactly as we planned, why would we need God? My husband also told me that same evening something else that may become a big expense for us but we won't know for a few days.
As I laid in bed that night, everything from the day ran through my head. I opened my Jesus Calling devotional and the very last sentence exploded off of the page to me. THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU NEED THAT I CANNOT PROVIDE. Wow. I just sat there in awe for a moment. This is so true. Earlier in the day I was pinning all sorts of dream kitchen renovation ideas and getting excited that we could start saving to do that. I thought of this on my own, that that project would be our new money investment. Did I ask God when I decided this? Nope. Did He smack me in the face and hit me with guilt immediately and ask me to ASK HIM if this is the next step He wanted us to take with our money? Yep. So as I was dreaming I asked God, "If you want us to do this kitchen renovation, please make it clear and if you don't, please tell us." I've learned many times over that when we do what God wants us to do it's far better than our plans. And God didn't wait long to tell me yesterday that this wasn't the time to redo the kitchen. With these other expenses at hand and that sentence from my devotional, it was very clear He had other plans. Emily, you don't NEED a kitchen but I will provide for your NEEDS. These expenses that we can't control I know that God will provide. There's nothing that we NEED that God can't give.
I woke up this morning grouchy. The baby woke up early and I wasn't ready to start my day yet. "Come on, Quinn. Just sleep a little longer pleeeeease." My girl wakes up ready to go. When those knees hit the floor she's gone. Well I came into the kitchen realizing again that I couldn't use my sink and the dishwasher was starting to smell not so nice because of the standing water in the bottom of it. Really? Ugh. Finally after my husband vacuumed the water out of it so it wouldn't get worse, I got my cup of coffee and sat on the couch after my husband had left for work. Quinn was playing sweetly with her toys in one spot and I knew instantly (because she never stays in one spot long) God had given me that time to talk to Him. I felt the morning breeze come through the window as I sipped my warm coffee and clicked on a devotional that my friend had sent me the night before that I hadn't had the chance to read yet.
"Finding Joy in Unplanned Circumstances" By Melissa Kruger--Proverbs 31 ministry.
I didn't have to read past the key verse to get what I needed from it. (of course I read it all the way through).
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Give thanks in ALL circumstances. Give thanks when you can't use your sink. Give thanks when your baby won't let you get your work done because she needs you. Give thanks when things don't go your way. ALWAYS.
Wow. I have to admit my first reaction to all of those circumstances yesterday were not to give thanks. But now as I sit here and think about the little things I'm thankful for, I have a long list.
Thank you God for the cool breeze when I drink my coffee.
Thank you for a mobile, healthy baby.
Thank you that I can do most of my work from home.
Thank you that I get the chance to meet new people and show them grace.
Thank you God for another day.
My list goes on....
So from all of this and knowing that my day does not always go as planned, what am I missing that God is trying to show me when things don't go my way? Last night I got to meet a wonderful couple and by God's grace I got to show my friendly side instead of my grouchy one. I enjoyed that moment after I got past myself. My husband reminded me that I AM Infinite Joy Photography, whether at home or at my studio or in public. People know my face. I hope it's a pretty one that they see and that they can see my heart. I pray that God refines me even more to be a more joyful person. The way we react to people shows our character. Please remember this. Act with grace. It really shows who you are as a person just by the way you respond.
Find the joy in each day. Be thankful for your circumstances. And I'll leave you with another quote/prayer from Melissa Kruger
God, help me loosen my grip on my plans and cling more tightly to You.
Love,
Emily
